Surviving hell and finding life: A Tyumen woman's story of resilience

Natalya Pfayfle, a wheelchair user from Tyumen, became disabled in her teens after falling from the eighth floor. A year ago, she drastically changed her life and found her true calling. And suddenly, for the first time publicly, she began to talk about what happened to her. Maria Tokmakova tells the story of Natalya, who faced unimaginable childhood cruelty and is building a new life.

Behind the external beauty lies a tragedy

At 33, Natalya is raising a daughter, driving a car, attending concerts, socializing in nightclubs for both leisure and work, and successfully building her personal life. A man helps her with daily tasks, work, and problem-solving.

Natalya has been using a wheelchair for 20 years. In 2006, she fell from a great height and was placed in intensive care. After complex operations, the girl survived. The hospital routine was followed by a long period of home rehabilitation.

Her mother didn«t tell her immediately that she would never walk again. The topic wasn»t even broached in their family. But the girl understood what was happening; she heard the doctors« conversations and their grim prognoses. It took years to accept her new self. The young woman admits that the journey of self-acceptance and trying to comprehend what happened and that she had to move on was very difficult.

Teenagers lured Natalya to an apartment and beat her for hours

Despite her popularity, even as an adult, the woman from Tyumen rarely spoke publicly about the tragedy that occurred.

— That year I moved to a new school, I was 13. My new classmates didn«t like me. They wanted me to leave the class or the school. I was sociable and friendly with older students. Perhaps that didn»t suit them. They tried to set me up, challenged me to a duel, so to speak. One day they tricked me into coming to an apartment. They kept me there for several hours, these girls, there were five of them, — Natalya says with heaviness in her voice.

According to the Tyumen woman, the girls not only held her captive but also beat her. This torment lasted for hours. Natasha, trying to save herself, fell from a great height.

— They beat me everywhere, including my head. It went on for a very long time. At one point I realized I needed to run, but there was no way out. The doors were closed, everything was locked… I saw no way out except the balcony. But I didn«t realize it was a balcony; I just saw an exit. And in a kind of shocked state, I just ran out there and didn»t even understand what happened. That«s how I ended up in a hospital bed, — confesses the Tyumen woman.

After that, Natasha lay in a coma for two weeks.

— That«s when my life completely changed. It split into before and after. At first, of course, it was hard to understand and accept. But over time—bit by bit, little by little—I started to live, meet people, socialize. But then I accepted this fact and began to live, had a child. And I decided, why should I just sit around? I decided to live and enjoy life, — she states.

Natalya«s tormentors faced no real punishment

None of Natalya«s tormentors were severely punished. At the time of the incident, they were under 14 years old, so they avoided criminal responsibility and got away with fines.

— There was essentially no punishment. They were given some fine, a paltry compensation; only two of them, I think, actually paid it. The total debt from all of them—the five girls and a couple of others involved—was 400,000–450,000 rubles (about $4,400–$5,000 at current rates), — Natalya recalls.

Over the years, her grown-up tormentors have not reached out to Natalya with apologies or confessions. She says she has accepted what happened and hardly thinks about her former classmates who drove her to tragedy.

— I don«t communicate with them. In all this time, maybe I»ve seen two of the girls a couple of times. Those were chance encounters. There were no conversations or anything. Of course, after what happened, they probably thought about it, but is it worth thinking about constantly? What for? I think we need to move on. Both me and them. I don«t want to communicate with them; I try not to think about all of this at all, — Natalya concludes.

She worked as a taxi driver but became a DJ

The Tyumen woman«s optimism is surprising and inspiring, but not everything in Natalya»s life has been smooth. She searched for herself and even worked as a taxi driver. Many passengers were surprised by the unusual driver.

But then Natalya became passionate about music and entered the world of DJs. It all happened naturally. The Tyumen woman attended parties, met professionals in the music scene, and decided to try her hand in this direction. Now she is gaining experience and playing at various venues.

— I was always drawn to this. And after so many years, I trained to be a DJ. I studied with a disco team that organizes major parties here. They taught me various intricacies. I started doing very well, — says Natalya.

She performs on big stages and writes her own tracks

In a short time, the Tyumen woman has managed to perform on several major stages. Natalya says she is one of the few wheelchair-using DJs.

— I performed at the «Odyssey» festival and at other venues, including clubs. I don«t want to be a resident DJ all my life, I don»t want to play warm-up sets for everyone. I want to be a headliner, naturally. So I went my own way, met fellow DJs: some recently finished training, some have been playing for a long time. They created their own community called «Freelance.» Now I«m gaining experience with them, playing at some establishments, — adds the Tyumen woman.

The Tyumen woman is learning to feel comfortable at the console, to communicate and move together with the guests. In this same scene, Natalya met her boyfriend. He is also a DJ and scriptwriter. The man helps his beloved in her profession and in everyday matters. He now takes on some responsibilities and is always there to help Natalya.

Natalya admits that she feels music and rhythm very well.

— I«ve already written one track, and now a second one is almost finished. I realized: this is all mine, music makes my chest burn. I»m preparing for performances, studying tracks, and so on. I get immense pleasure from all of this, — Natalya says with delight.

In this endeavor, Natalya is supported not only by her partner but also by other loved ones. Her daughter and mother are proud of her, saying she has a great future ahead. Besides, the Tyumen woman always makes an impression at clubs or parties.

— When I come to parties to relax, people often come up to me and introduce themselves. Of course, I produce a «wow» effect. And some say: «She»s so cool, it«s great that she came here.» And when I«m at such places working as a DJ, many are in complete shock. Like, wow, is she going to play? People like my energy, my music, my communication with them—that»s the most important thing, — concludes the Tyumen woman.

More must-reads about strength of spirit

Be sure to read the first publication about Natalya. Back then, the Tyumen woman spoke openly about self-acceptance and the birth of her daughter. Find the full interview with video in our previous article.

Yana Gribenyuk is a successful businesswoman. She rents out apartments, manages construction crews, and runs her own interior design firm. It might seem she is no different from other Tyumen entrepreneurs, but there is one «but»: Yana has used a wheelchair since childhood. She managed to build her business without outside financial support and learned to heroically cope with complexes and difficulties. She also became the heroine of the first People«s Prize 72.RU in Tyumen, moving the audience with her story: the entire hall gave her a standing ovation. We made a mini-film about Yana, watch it here.