Therapy for 30 disabled children in rural Moldova

Mihai is a 4-year-old boy from Calarasi, the youngest of a family with two older sisters.  From an early age, his parents noticed that his development differed from that of other children his age.  He doesn't like loud noises and is easily frightened by sudden changes.  Mihai still does not speak at the moment, he only makes a few sounds and reacts intensely when a forbidden object is taken from him or when a sudden change occurs.  He is a calm character, attentive to details and with a special aptitude for visual and concentration activities.  Quiet activities help him express himself and connect with the world around him.  You may not be surprised to hear with this profile, that Mihai has an autism diagnosis.

Although this diagnosis was initially a blow for Mihai's parents, they have been proactive in getting him the support he needs.  Since the age of 3, Mihai has been attending kindergarten.  He also goes twice a week to our "The Wish" day center in Calarasi. Here he benefits from speech therapy, occupational therapy and educational activities adapted to his needs.  Even with limited access to services, Mihai has made great progress: he is more attentive, manages to accept the rules better and tries to communicate through gestures and looks. Behavioral crises are rarer, and his family has become more confident and involved in supporting him. His sisters gladly participate in home activities and encourage him every step of the way. 

However, we believe that Mihai needs more therapy, with a greater frequency, in order to make faster and more solid progress. Unfortunately, due to financial limitations, we don't have the possibility to include Mihai in the program more often, although the need is obvious.  Even though the road is long, Mihai demonstrates that he has potential, especially if he could benefit from a more intense therapy program. He is a gentle child, who responds to encouragement and fully enjoys every success. Mihai loves to color, do puzzles and explore activities that involve order, colors and shapes. 

Mihai's story is one about potential, hope, and a family's daily struggle for a better life. With the support of the "The Wish" center, even in limited conditions, Mihai is evolving. With expanded access to therapy, he could make even greater progress. This child needs more support to reach his true potential – and he deserves all the support of the community. 

We rely on your donations help to fund Mihai's invaluable therapy programme.  We'd love to be able to offer him more support, and indeed to help more children.  Can you help?

Nina is 29 and she has an infectious smile and loves talking about her family. We’re chatting in one of the offices at The Wish's Centre in Calarasi, which her son Liviu attends. He’s here too, a bit wary of strangers, though he sneaks a few glances at us.  Since he obviously doesn't like having his photo taken, it is Nina you can see here.  Liviu and Nina's experiences expose just how little understanding there is about how to support autistic people in Moldova.  Thank goodness Nina found The Wish, where Liviu could get the support he needed.

“My Liviu cried a lot as a baby,” Nina says. “People told me, ‘He’ll grow out of it.’ But he didn’t, so I turned to specialists—a neurologist, a therapist—each giving a different diagnosis, but none mentioned autism. I first noticed the signs when he was three or four. Eventually, I saw a private paediatrician, and that’s when I finally heard the word: autism”. 

The help Nina received for her son mainly consisted of some medications and vitamins. The final diagnosis was made at the neuropsychiatrichospital in Codru, but they said a lot of time had already been lost. 

Nina and Liviu (6 years old) live in Sadova village, where there are no services for children with this diagnosis—all the organisations Nina contacted are based in the capital. Liviu attends a regular kindergarten, but Nina brings some sedatives prescribed by a neurologist. A mobile medical team visits the village occasionally, but they aren’t able to provide much help for a case like his. 

Nina found the Centre in Calarasi herself, and for the past two years, Liviu has been attending sessions with a speech therapist, psychologist, and other specialists. He has started pronouncing words, and his behaviour has stabilised. He now understands and can express when he’s hungry and how he wants to dress. He loves playing with water, building sets and sorting fruits as well as putting toys and things in order.  Not surprisingly, with the ability to express his needs and adults in his life who recognise and can meet them, his behaviour has stabilised.

The local kindergarten has started offering support in sharing information about autism.  The biggest challenge, Nina admits, is taking public transport—many people still don’t understand and react unkindly to Liviu’s differences. 

We still have a long way to go to make sure that autistic children in Moldova are given the support they need rather than inappropriate medication.  At present we are not able to meet the demand in our area because of lack of funds.  Any contribution you can make would be very warmly welcomed.