Maidan

Irina Gavrisheva. Journalist and former patient of children’s hematology ward. Irina writes and publishes website appeals and articles about helping sick children of Zaporozhye, on behalf of the Happy Child fund which she and director Albert Pavlov founded.

A year ago, director Albert spoke out about the neglect, about which he could no longer be silent when alerted by the cries of Andreyusha, a child in a children's home he was visiting:

http://www.deti.zp.ua/eng/show_article.php?a_id=5219

Supporter and fundraiser Anne Linden tells Ira's story:

"At thirteen, the chief of the oncology ward in the regional children's hospital had ordered all life supports removed leaving her to die. Her mother watched as she stopped breathing and began turning blue while administering artificial respiration."
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"Thirty minutes later, Ira again began to breathe again. Recovery was slow. Just relearning to read took her a year. Undaunted, Ira eventually graduated from high school and applied to the university where she was denied admission - not for academic reasons but because she was wheel-chair bound."
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"What sets her apart is, however, not her being left to die or even her recovery but what she has managed to accomplish since then. She together with Albert Pavlov founded the Happy Child Foundation. "

http://www.ukraineorphans.net/id96.html.

Ira's story of survival against all odds may be found here:

http://www.deti.zp.ua/eng/show_article.php?a_id=5147

http://deti.zp.ua/eng/homepages/authors.php.

Ira has recently undergone a hip operation and now needs further surgery to her knee. She helps others and will not hear of raising funds for herself.Hence this request to raise $4000 by April.

On the GiveMeaning website you can vote for Ira's cause:

http://www.givemeaning.com/proposal/irina