Newsletter October 2007

Dear friends:

November has come, and the last month of autumn is windy and cold. Autumn is always a difficult time. Many of our patients attended school for the first time. The adjustment proved difficult for some: many children were down with various diseases and were under permanent treatment from our pediatricians and nurses.

Oceanarium & Museum Visits

Rain or shine, wet or fine – no matter what the weather, our employees are there for the patients. It’s especially important to lift the spirits of the children during as the cold weather approaches. That’s why we were infinitely glad that the Oceanarium of St. Petersburg invited our patients to visit the underwater realm. Our children liked the remarkable guides Olga and Dmitry at once; their attention and sensitive attitude towards the children amazed us!

We often hear that our children are talented and that they have a full inner life. Perhaps suffering makes a little person more aware of the surrounding world and enables them to value its beauty. Artists of "school of crafts” at the Ethnographical Museum taught our children to work with clay. The handiworks created by the children astounded the teachers. The unanimous appraisal sounded: “It is a real museum exhibit!”

Autumn Birthdays

This month fourteen patients of Hospice celebrated their birthdays.

We tried to think up an unusual gift for everyone. Anna loves flowers, and friends congratulated her with a huge bouquet of 100 roses!

We showed a little performance to Alice and presented her with a doll.

Lights, Camera, Action!

Children are always interested in television and our patients are no exception. They are charmed by the magic force of the blue screen. Like all children, they have favorite film stars and television shows, and, of course, they long to learn how these broadcasts are prepared and to meet the TV presenters.

Employees of the television channel "Russia" arranged a master class for our children. Everyone had an opportunity to play the role of a TV presenter, an announcer or a camera operator. This meeting turned out to be a real present for Sasha who has dreamed of visiting a television set for a long time.

New Patients

During October, Children's Hospice took in many new children. We already render social and psychological help to them and find out their necessities and needs.

When we receive new patients who have undergone medical treatment at a hospital, we keep strictly the succession of medical information. Children’s Hospice pediatricians coordinate with the patient’s doctors at the hospital to make sure they are familiar with the patient’s medical history and provide the best care.

About the Hospice

There are some employees in our hospice who are to be noted in particular.

Anna Kozlova

Anna Kozlova has been working at Children’s Hospice for a year. She is careful, sensitive, kind and attentive. In addition, she continually strives to improve and learn; she keeps an eye on innovations in palliative medicine.

Nikolay Kafidov & Stanislav Popov

There is also a team of professional masseurs working at Children’s Hospice. Nikolay Kafidov and Stanislav Popov make daily visits to patients requiring a rehabilitation treatment. They pay over seventy visits a month!

Elvira Vjalkova

Elvira Vjalkova is a defectologist within our rehabilitation program. She hasn’t been working at the hospice for long but many parents of our little patients have already noticed positive changes in their children’s condition and some of our patients have made an unprecedented progress.

We are also very glad that many patients and their parents don’t want to stop once they have achieved some success but instead continue to want to achieve more. It means that our efforts are not in vain and that we chose a right strategy. The children themselves consider the workers of our hospice as their senior friends.

We have shared our small successes and achievements with you, and we have told you about the things that our employees face every day. We hope what you have read touches your heart and soul. Please share this newsletter with your friends, and if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us.

Thank you for your attention and support.

Yours faithfully,

Fr. Alexander Tkachenko, Children’s Hospice,

November 2007