First steps and words: the Eva center completed a rehabilitation course for children during the war
The war interfered with everyone’s plans, but it had a particularly hard impact on the plans of children with serious diagnoses who need daily rehabilitation. This week, 25 kids completed a free rehabilitation course at the Eva Inclusion and Correction Center, which is financed by the NGO Techiia Foundation. It was the first "graduation class" during the war.
Fortunately, the Eva Inclusion and Correction Center, located in Petropavlivska Borshchahivka, was not damaged during the military actions in the Kyiv region. Therefore, once it became possible, the Center renewed its help to children diagnosed with cerebral palsy, autism, Down, Rett and Williams syndromes, nervous system disorders, dysarthria, alalia, multiple developmental disabilities, heart, hearing, vision, and musculoskeletal impairments.
Eva also helps children after cancer operations. 6-year-old Dima Vynohradov is exactly such a patient. He comes to procedures with his mom and brother Mykhailo, who is one and a half years older than Dima.
"Dima’s results are fantastic," says Olga Kravchuk, the President of the Direct Aid Foundation, which founded and manages the Eva Center, not holding back her emotions. - Dima was paralyzed on the left side of his body, he could not walk or speak. And one day, when his mother and I were just sitting and talking, Dima, not even realizing what a huge step he had just taken, picked up the object with his left hand. We were absolutely stoked. And now Dima is already walking and re-learning to say his first words again."
Masha, Zlata's mother, admits that previously the rehabilitation of her 7-year-old daughter cost her at least UAH 25,000 per month. Zlata was born with visual impairments, and after an injury at the age of 4.5, she started to learn to walk and talk again.
"One question is where to get the money because I am raising Zlata on my own. Another thing is where to find specialists for rehabilitation. I used to put Zlata in the car at 7 in the morning and drive all day to different centers in search of the best specialists. And in Eva, everyone is gathered under one roof. This is the only center in Ukraine with such opportunities. For which we are infinitely grateful. We have fantastic results. Zlata can see objects at a distance of 1.3 meters," says Zlata's mother.
Qualified specialists work with children at Eva, these are rehabilitation specialists, psychologists, speech therapists, deflection specialists, art therapists, massage therapists, and kinesiotherapists. All services are free of charge.
The Eva Inclusion and Correction Center welcomed its first patients in March 2021. Since then more than 300 children have received free rehabilitation services. The activities of the center are financed by the NGO Techiia Foundation - the public organization of the TECHIIA holding, while the charity organization Direct Aid Foundation is in charge of organizing the work.
You can pre-register for a free rehabilitation course by the link. Learn more about Eva's programs and services by calling +380 67 521 7992.