Nikita's Story

It was a warm evening in June 2007. Randy and I had decided to spend the evening in the Village of Ilinka. Lost in thought, we strolled over to the children's home. The children's voices rang in the rural air, like a melody of hand bells chiming, as they played in a cheerful and carefree manner.

Suddenly we were startled by the sight of a small boy peaking through a hole in the fence. He appeared to be about 4 or 5 years old. Usually in such a situation, such as this, children shout "Hello" or a similar type of greeting. This little boy only sweetly and silently smiled. I decided to speak first and said "Hi". He nodded his head and remained silent.

We continued our walk into the courtyard of the children's home and upon locating a teacher; I asked why the boy does not speak. Tatyana Vladimirovna sadly made a helpless gesture and answered that Nikita has an illness of the adenoids and needs to have an operation to remove them, and the children's home does not have money for the operation. He is now 6 years old and should be starting school. The operation is needed promptly; without it Nikita cannot go to school.

Nikita stood beside us and understood that we were speaking about him. He tried to communicate with us through his eyes but could not get his message across. After speaking with the teacher, we now understood the harsh reality that lay behind his silence. Unless Nikita receives an adenoid operation, he will most likely live a life of illness. This illness will rob him of his voice in society, education and meaningful social interaction.

You can play a personal role in Nikita's life by helping to fund this vital operation.  

Please contact Natalie if you wish to offer special assistance to Nikita:  natalienz1@hotmail.com