Artem's father, Dmytro, came to the foundation and told his story:

My son was born a healthy child, but on 16 January 2010 he was scheduled for a bronchoscopy because of a suspected foreign body in the bronchi. During the bronchoscopy at the Odesa Regional Children's Clinical Hospital my boy suffered clinical death as a result of cardiac arrest. The child was in a coma and cerebral oedema set in.

On discharge we were given the diagnosis — hypoxic-ischaemic brain injury, apallic syndrome, spastic tetraparesis syndrome. Pseudobulbar syndrome. Epilepsy «. After discharge from hospital, besides drug treatment, my son went through a series of continuous courses of various kinds of massage. Besides that, we travelled five times for treatment to Truskavets, to Professor Koziavkin's clinic.

After the fifth trip my son's condition improved noticeably: the epileptic seizures practically stopped, the spasticity decreased, he became more responsive and even smiles when spoken to.

The boy has regular sessions at the Janusz Korczak Odesa City Rehabilitation Centre for Disabled Children, goes to the swimming pool and reflexotherapy, and has had courses of Vojta therapy.

Thanks to all the rehabilitation procedures, and especially to the treatment at Koziavkin's clinic, my son's condition has improved noticeably — the diagnosis of apallic syndrome has been removed, and now his diagnosis reads: «Spastic tetraparesis, pseudobulbar syndrome, focal symptomatic epilepsy, delayed psychological and speech development.»

Artem is booked in for 4 March 2013 for his sixth course of rehabilitation at Koziavkin's clinic. Another trip to Truskavets lies ahead.

The cost of the stay for the child and one parent is 19 816 UAH.

In our family my wife works all the time; I receive a pension as the carer of a disabled child. There is never enough money — it all goes on courses of massage and daily medical procedures. Our family is in debt.

We can no longer afford another stay at the Truskavets clinic, and all the previous efforts to treat our boy will prove to have been in vain. Please show mercy, help with whatever you can. It is so terrible when you cannot pull a very sick child out of illness for want of money.