Adriana* was born with cerebral palsy, a condition which dramatically impacts her movement and speech. At the age of three, she could barely walk or talk.
Her mother remembers,
“We did not know what to do to help our child. Traveling to the city for a consultation or treatment was not affordable for us.”
Thanks to supporters like you, Adriana was able to access a new Early Childhood centre, run by Lumos to help prevent the unnecessary separation of young families facing difficulties.
Adriana received physical therapy sessions, and her parents were trained on how to help her with tailored exercises at home.
Access to this kind of care improved her day-to-day life immensely. She is now able to walk and go up and down the stairs,giving her far more independence. Through speech therapy, her speech has also significantly improved, and she loves being able to communicate with people outside of her immediate family.
“To see our child speaking and walking on her own shows there is hope for any child with a disability. We wish these services existed in every region of Moldova, so that all families can get the help they need.”
Adriana is one of 268 children who receive support at her local centre, and 10 more centres across Moldova support countless more children.
These centres bring support and resources for families into communities, showing that children can – and should be – cared for at home, rather than in institutions.
You can support our work helping more children like Adriana in Moldova today.
*Name changed.