RT's project "We Will Continue to Act" provides financial support to families who find themselves in difficult life situations that they cannot cope with on their own. This mainly concerns the consequences of emergencies, fires, serious illness of children and adults.
Over the past year, 321 people have applied to the project — 138 children and 183 adults. The journalists of the Children's Cerebral Palsy pay special attention to children diagnosed with cerebral palsy (CP). Every week on Tuesdays, the project's Telegram channel publishes the stories of families with children with this diagnosis.
In addition, the MDBM provided assistance to the residents of Shebekin, who left their homes in early June due to shelling by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Targeted assistance was provided to 158 families. With the help of RT subscribers, Shebekin residents were able to pay rent and buy basic necessities. Part of the collected funds was spent on the purchase of food, baby food, diapers, personal hygiene products and household chemicals. RT delivered all this to one of the humanitarian aid depots in Belgorod, where evacuees applied.
In total, in 2023, RT collected 15,309,701 rubles and closed 22 fundraisers as part of the charity project.
Assistance to the residents of Shebekin
On the night of June 1, the family of Svetlana Bocharnikova, like most residents of Shebekin, got out of the city with their children under the shelling of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The only thing the woman managed to take with her was a blanket for her one-year-old daughter. "I went from house to house looking for a place to cook porridge for my child. I never thought that I would find myself in such a situation," Svetlana recalls.
RT helped the family pay for three months of living in a rented apartment in Belgorod, buy food and basic necessities. In September, the family returned to their home in Shebekin.
Throughout the summer, Svetlana's husband traveled to his hometown and helped servicemen repair UAZs. "We didn't have the money to help with equipment. Therefore, my husband helped with his hands as much as he could. We gave the boys the keys to our car wash for overnight stays, so that they at least had a roof over their heads," the woman says.
Svetlana is glad that everything in her life is slowly getting better: "I work remotely, I look after my daughter, we take our son to school in Kupina, which is 25 km from us. My husband is engaged in washing. The Christmas tree has already been decorated, on New Year's Eve we will all be at home, the main thing is that it is quiet. Happy New Year to you, and thank you for everything you've done for us."
- The Tyutyunnikov family
- © Photo from personal archive
Inna Tyutyunnikova was evacuated with her husband, mother-in-law and two children on June 1 from Shebekin to Voronezh. RT helped the family rent a place there. Two months later, the Tyutyunnikovs arrived in Belgorod, they have not yet returned home, but they plan to spend the New Year holidays in their native walls.
"We rent an apartment in Belgorod, my husband regularly comes to Shebekino and works. We have our own gas equipment store there. We don't plan to return home yet, the children have already been enrolled here, in Belgorod, in school and kindergarten," says Inna.
44-year-old Valentina Khandurova, thanks to the funds raised by RT subscribers, was able to pay rent for an apartment for two months in Belgorod and buy groceries. She and her two children fled from Shebekin to Belgorod.
"We were able to get to the TAC under shelling. I have my youngest child on disability (she has diabetes mellitus and hydrocephalus). My husband died, and I am raising two children alone. The eldest is already 16," says Valentina.
In August, the family returned home: "Thank you so much for your help! My eldest daughter went to college in Belgorod. He will come to our house for the holiday, we will celebrate together."
- Valentina Khandurova with children
- © Photo from personal archive
Adult Support
Payment for expensive rehabilitation is the most common request that people with various diseases make to the project.
In the outgoing year, DDBM told the story of Inna Alekseeva, who is raising her six-year-old son alone. The woman has a progressive disease called multiple sclerosis. Inna found out about her illness when she was 19 years old. Now she is 36, she tries to combine motherhood, going to the doctor and household chores.
- Inna Alekseeva with her son
- © Photo from personal archive
Without physical therapy, the muscles of the whole body weaken, so it is important to give them the right load. At the time of contacting the project, Inna was able to move in a wheelchair. DDBM helped to raise 360 thousand rubles for rehabilitation at the Yantar Centre. After the treatment, the woman began to walk with the help of canes.
58-year-old Albert Gorozhanin from Ryazan suffered two strokes. The first time, he recovered quickly, and the second time, serious complications began: his left arm was paralyzed, his legs were weakened.
In order not to lose walking skills and restore strength in the hands, you need physical therapy. DDBM helped to raise 420 thousand rubles for Albert for rehabilitation in one of the Moscow centers.
- Anna Shushpanova with her mother
- © Photo from personal archive
31-year-old Anna Shushpanova was able to go to the Three Sisters rehabilitation center for treatment. The DDBM closed the collection in the amount of 623.7 thousand rubles. Five years ago, the woman got into a serious accident. Despite the fact that she received multiple fractures of her arms and legs, after the operation, the doctors said that Anna had every chance of recovery. A speech pathologist, speech therapist and exercise therapists helped her improve her speech and walking. Anna had no money for treatment, her retired mother takes care of her, and their entire monthly income consists of two pensions.
Help for children
Thanks to the subscribers of the DDBM, the collection for eight-year-old twins Ramazan and Azamat Vagizov from Tatarstan in the amount of 498.6 thousand rubles was closed. Ramazan has a lesion of the central nervous system, and Azamat has cerebral palsy. The children go with support, they study in the second grade.
"Not without difficulties, but the boys are trying. They like to communicate with their classmates," says their mother Aigul. In order for twins to learn to walk without assistance, classes with exercise therapists are needed.
- Ramazan and Azamat Vagizov
- © Photo from personal archive
Nine-year-old Ilya Vinakov from Belgorod has severe damage to the central nervous system and ADHD. Due to the disorder of speech development, it is difficult for the child to understand the speech of others and communicate.
Ilya lives in Belgorod, where air defense systems are constantly operating. Because of the loud noises, the boy was nervous, screaming at night and crying.
The DDBM collected 135.5 thousand rubles for the rehabilitation of the child in Sochi, where a speech therapist, a speech pathologist and a psychologist worked with him. The trip to the center was beneficial: he improved his communication skills and became calmer.
- Ilya Vinakov
- © Photo from personal archive
Children with cerebral palsy
To help children with cerebral palsy in 2023, the DDBM collected 3,129,508 rubles. A total of 119 stories were made public: journalists helped raise money to pay for rehabilitation, the purchase of a wheelchair, a verticalizer and ankle devices.
The parents of 14-year-old Artyom Volodin, three-year-old Bogdan Kamaldinov, ten-year-old Yulia Subkhangulova and four-year-old Matvey Ghazaryan took their children to a rehabilitation center this year. A neuropsychologist, specialists in physical therapy and speech disorders worked with the children.
- Artyom Volodin
- © Photo from personal archive
"Thank you very much that we collected the entire amount and were able to complete the full course of treatment. This is very important for us. Artyomka's arms and legs have become stronger. Happy Holidays to you! We wish everyone a good mood, health, and may everything always be fine for you," says Artem's mother.
Matvey Ghazaryan's mother, Yelena, thanks everyone involved in the closure of the fundraiser for her son's treatment: "Our results are good – Matvey began to walk, squat and get up from a chair without support. We have applied to other funds and projects, but you are the most prompt and the most responsive. The collection for the day is closed. I'm very glad you took us. Happy New Year to all!"