My dear brothers and sisters, I would like to welcome you into our new special needs program, and also introduce you to 16-year-old Katya. This extremely loving and sweet young lady has faced a lifetime of harassment and mental abuse because she was born with Cerebral Palsy. When our rescue team recently found both her and her mother, Katya was in desperate need of medical care, proper nutrition and advanced psychological services.
“I will never forget the day that my beautiful Katya was born”, says Alisa. “My husband and I were overjoyed at the birth of our new daughter. I remember it being the best day of my life as we both could not stop holding her and kissing her big beautiful eyes. She was such a sweetheart!”
The first few months of Katya’s life were going along smoothly. Alisa and her husband were exhausted but also overjoyed at the experience of being new parents. Having their daughter was everything that this young couple had ever dreamed of.
As the months went by, Alisa began to notice some troubling behaviors in Katya’s movements. Every time she lifted her out of the crib, her body became very stiff and her legs would cross. After visiting a specialist, the couple’s greatest fears were confirmed. Katya was diagnosed with Cerebral palsy.
“At first, I was devastated and angry at the same time”, says Alisa. “I would ask the same question over and over…How could this be happening to us? I knew at that point, if Katya was going to survive, it would be me who would have to make it happen.”
My family, today Katya requires constant care and is unable to move or eat without assistance. Together, we can come to this family’s side and provide Katya with the medical services, medication and rehabilitative therapy that she so desperately needs. May God bless you for wrapping your loving arms around our very special children as we together raise them up in the light and love of God.
