Yegor's Story

Yegor Yankov's dream is to attend university, speak English fluently, and walk confidently without assistance. His interests include Russian history; he wins academic competitions, plays sledge hockey, and swims. His academic and athletic achievements are the result of tremendous effort—not only in terms of knowledge and results, but also in taking every step on his own. Yegor was born early, at 29–30 weeks of pregnancy, weighing 1,480 grams. He could not breathe on his own, suffered a brain hemorrhage, and spent three weeks on a ventilator. When he was nine months old, the boy was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Fr om then on, his life consisted of constant therapy sessions, hospital visits, and rehabilitation. Egor took his first independent steps at the age of four. His mother, Olga, is raising her son on her own and helping him become more independent. At elementary school, she would accompany Yegor between classrooms, to the cafeteria, and to the auditorium. Previously, even crossing the hallway without support was scary for him: he was afraid of losing his balance and falling. Gradually, through his therapy sessions, Egor has become stronger. Nowadays, he moves around the school on his own more and more often. For him, this is an important freedom—being able to go wh ere he needs to without waiting for help. Egor likes to study: he finished his seven years of school with straight A’s. He reads encyclopedias from a young age and began studying Russian history at age six. Sports also play a major role in his life. He plays forward on the “Spartak” youth sledge hockey team, participates in competitions, and has earned a second-level adult certification in swimming. In 2015, Yegor underwent two major hip surgeries. The long rehabilitation process required him to relearn movements he had lost. Now, to improve his walking, he needs regular physical therapy. His mother has observed that previous therapy sessions helped him strengthen his muscles, maintain better balance, and walk with more confidence. Olga does not work because she cares for her son. The family lives on a pension and benefits and cannot afford to pay for a course. Please help Yegor continue his therapy sessions. With your support, he’ll be able to work on his stability