Twins from St. Petersburg with Cerebral Palsy Need Help

Brother and sister from St. Petersburg, Artyom and Nastya Trifanovsky, have been battling a diagnosis of cerebral palsy, spastic diplegia, since birth. Their life is a continuous effort to overcome the consequences of this severe illness.

The children were born prematurely at 28 weeks. «There was a prolapse of the umbilical cord loops, followed by an emergency cesarean section. Nastya was born first. She was in serious condition due to respiratory failure, central nervous system depression, and immaturity. Next came Artyom, his condition was also extremely severe. The children were immediately resuscitated and connected to a ventilator. The threat of cerebral palsy was identified when they were seven months old. And a bit later, this dreadful diagnosis was confirmed,» says their mother Lyudmila.

From that moment, rehabilitation became an integral part of the twins« lives. Every new skill comes to them at the cost of months of diligent work with specialists.

Nastya has achieved significant success: she learned to sit, stand, and walk independently. Now her main passion is equestrian sports. Starting with hippotherapy, the girl now competes as a Paralympic athlete.

Artyom«s motor impairments are more pronounced: he can only sit with support and stand with assistance. However, the boy shows remarkable curiosity, has learned to read, count, and type on a keyboard, easily absorbing information by ear.

To preserve and improve the results, both children require regular rehabilitation courses at one of St. Petersburg«s centers. Specialists have developed individual programs for them:

• For Nastya — gait correction, development of coordination and balance.
• For Artyom — therapeutic exercise, massage, adaptation to daily living conditions, and motor skills exercises.

The full cost of the course for both children is 400,000 rubles (approximately $4,000 at current rates). These sessions are not covered by the compulsory health insurance policy, and the family is unable to pay such an amount due to difficult financial circumstances.

To raise the necessary funds, the Trifanovskys have turned to the charitable foundation «Alyosha.» Donations will help Artyom and Nastya continue their movement towards a more independent life.