Ira’s Insight

What can touch people’s hearts? Sometimes, it is amazing or shocking pictures, news, or video that we see on TV. Our life is full of such things. I remember that once I was shocked by a picture of dying African girl. But the information about the photographer who took picture of it was more shocking. He didn’t care about that girl; he just took a picture of her and left that place. Later, that photographer committed suicide because he just couldn’t live with the fact that he hadn’t helped her. The picture of the girl and the end of the life of the photographer are still alive in my memory.

Since I saw the picture it has been reminding me about many people, especially children who are in need. Many people live in “a box”. Sometimes we don’t know what happens to our neighbors or people close to us. It happens that we say: “Oh, I am sorry to hear that, I would have helped him if I had known.” I could say that I had lived in such a box before I started to work with MUCH. I hadn’t been aware that in Illichevsk there were so many children in need. It had seemed to me that such people had been far from my city; they had lived somewhere, but not close to me. I am really happy that it has changed and now my heart is ready to do my best for those who need help.

The girl about who I would like to tell you could break your heart if you saw her. All her life she has been suffering from some kind of severe palsy. Her lower and upper extremities are deformed. The girl can’t walk. She can just crawl because of the deformation of her feet. Also she has problems with breathing (her lungs). Her chest is concave. She has been suffering all her life. She is just 7 years old. The relief that she gets is just massage treatment. It helps her to breathe better for some time.

She is one whose smile is in my memory. This girl is very intelligent and in spite of her severe disability, she has never been unsatisfied. I would like to help her with something. I have begun to pray for this small girl whose life can be changed. I hope this letter will reach hearts of those who are not indifferent to the life of Sasha. There is some good news for her – she can be operated on. It means that the deformation of her chest, problems with her hands, elbows, and feet can be corrected. But the problem is that it is a very expensive process. Please pray for Sasha.

Until next time,
Ira