Faces You Can't Forget

Cao Yue Ning is a young girl with acute cerebral palsy. She came to work with ICC at four years old and has since followed routine therapy that has improved her strength and motor skills. Cao Yue Ning spends most of the day in her wheelchair and has outgrown her current one. She is in critical need of a custom-ordered and adjustable wheelchair that will grow with her as her therapies and development continue.

Liao Yi is a nine-year-old boy with cerebral palsy and epilepsy. His care falls mainly to his mother as his father works away from the home. Liao Yi requires constant supervision due to his seizures and cannot communicate his hygiene needs. He is currently in need of a toilet and bathing chair. The hope is along with his continued therapy and medical attention, that these much-needed items will enable Liao Yi to make strides toward greater comfort and independence.

Zhang Wei is a 13-year-old boy who has been with ICC for a year. Zhang Wei has cerebral palsy and requires the use of a wheelchair with a table all day. Your monetary support will help this young man receive a specialized wheelchair that will grow with him and provide comfort and support.

Meet Bogdan, a 9-year-old orphan in the war-torn country of Ukraine. Bogdan is unable to walk and has difficulty using one arm. His disabilities, coupled with the distance and conditions of the route, prohibited him from traveling to a rehabilitation center for necessary physical therapy. Now, with his “heavy duty” wheelchair provided by WFCF, Bogdan can not only attend rehab daily but can also now attend school in the local village.

Meet Joseph, a 10-year-old at the Chibolya Community School in Zambia. Due to physical impairments in his legs, Joseph had difficulties walking and was unable to participate in many school activities. Medical equipment was a luxury Joseph had to do without. After receiving a fitted crutch and physiotherapy funded by WFCF, Joseph is now more mobile, independent, and able to participate in school activities. When he completes school, Joseph wants to be a teacher.

These Tanzanian children with albinism suffer from visual impairment, a side effect of the genetic condition, and a number of daunting health risks. This makes access to education for approximately 15,000 school age children with albinism in Tanzania limited. The WFCF funded project provided new textbooks and reading stands to make reading and learning easier for these children, helping them to succeed in school.

Sofia is a beautiful 4-year-old Ukrainian girl. She is partially paralyzed, along with some brain damage and growth defects. With her new wheelchair funded by WFCF, she will be able to go to the rehabilitation center every day for physical therapy, massages and education. This will greatly better her quality of life and health and improve her opportunities in life.

Meet Andrey. Learned how to walk down the corridor in a baby walker. Reinforced the skill to reach for objects. Now Andrey reaches out not only to the toys with sound, but also shiny toys. She can hold a familiar thing for a minute to consider it while sitting in a wheelchair. She is able to select items from a box and crawl on her hands to get them out of the box. She can shift the toy from one hand to another, producing sounds at the same time. She learned to hold part-time cup of juice and drink from it using both hands.

Meet Kirill. He learned with the help of a tutor to stimulate a circular motion by hand on an illuminated board with sand and take geometric shapes and insert them into a board with corresponding holes. He was able to be supplied with a tutor that enforced his ability to pick up objects. WFCF was able to help by funding Dinema’s Dream Foundation in the Russian Federation.

Meet Dmitriy. He practiced skills to hold himself in a sitting position and learned to sit in a chair with a lock or in a chair-pear. He is learning to wash by putting his hands into the water and then puts his hand on his face. Dmitriy learned to clap, repeating the action for an adult and even straightens his fingers. He also mastered the ability to drink with minimal help thanks to WFCF’s help.

Meet Boris. Attention was paid removing Nikolai’s emotional stress by using behavioral studies. After contact with a professional, Boris went outside a lot, often in the playground to ride on the swings and play ball. There was a marked improvement in the child's condition and recovering important life skills: sitting at the table, he eats with a spoon full of food, understands speech addressed to him, he smiles and performs tasks that the teacher requests.

Meet Irina, a 4-year-old orphan. She was able to walk better, learn to climb the stairs and open a door and step over the threshold. Also, she can now use her fingers to grab things. She was able to be supplied with a teacher that aided those developmental abilities. WFCF was able to help by funding Dinema’s Dream Foundation in the Russian Federation.

Meet Ivan. He had positive dynamics in his development, gaining the ability to fold pieces of paper, determining the right and wrong sides of garments, picking tissue samples with the same structure and doing housework. He was able to be supplied with a teacher that helped develop those abilities. WFCF was able to help by funding Dinema’s Dream Foundation in the Russian Federation.

Meet Nikita. He had spent most of his life on bed rest, but in the time since WFCF’s help, he has learned to stand with the support of a wall and other objects. He was able to be supplied with a tutor that helped him learn to dress and play. WFCF was able to help by funding Dinema’s Dream Foundation in the Russian Federation.

Meet Yang Fu Sheng, a 15-year-old boy who had outgrown his old walking frame and desperately needed something to use that is more solid and stable than a regular walking frame. He was provided with a comfortable crocodile walker, and he is now finally able to stand tall all by himself and trusts this new walker which gives him confidence, comfort, and independence.

Meet Igor. He was able to wash his hands under the tap, use the potty, and improve his ability to eat food with spoons. He also became calmer during meals as he learned to confidently hold a spoon and use it to scoop food. He was able to be supplied with a teacher that helped him learn to eat properly. WFCF was able to help by funding Dinema’s Dream Foundation in the Russian Federation.

Meet Vera. She was able to acquire different skills. For example, she has mastered the ability to walk with minimal assistance, washing her hands and her face, and she knows how to find a hidden object. She was able to be supplied with a teacher that aided those acquired different skills. WFCF was able to help by funding Dinema’s Dream Foundation in the Russian Federation.

Meet Ivan. He was able to gain reinforcement skills of lifting his head and chest while lying on his stomach, can hold a rattler and reach for objects. He practiced the skill to look, raising his head to the side at the sound of music. He was supplied with a teacher that helped him develop his developmental skills. WFCF was able to help by funding Dinema’s Dream Foundation in the Russian Federation.

Meet Anna. She was able to gain many new skills. She was able to learn to ride a tricycle, put together a puzzle, reproduce objects using geometric shapes and combing her hair. She was able to be supplied with a teacher that aided those acquired different skills. WFCF was able to help by funding Dinema’s Dream Foundation in the Russian Federation.

Meet Galya. Galya is a happy girl and watches with interest what is happening around her. She can now sit in a chair-pear and reach out to objects to pick them up. She was able to be supplied with a teacher that gave her the ability to play with toys and feed herself. WFCF was able to help by funding Dinema’s Dream Foundation in the Russian Federation.

Meet Marta. She was able to master the skill of looking at a book and looking at the pictures, put cubes on top of each other and wash her hands and dry them. She was able to be supplied with a teacher that gave her the ability to feed herself. WFCF was able to help by funding Dinema’s Dream Foundation in the Russian Federation.

Meet Irina. She can now walk independently and can play in a playground while holding onto the handrails. She can also identify different shaped-objects and can put on socks and express her feelings. She was able to be supplied with a teacher that gave her the ability to express herself. WFCF was able to help by funding Dinema’s Dream Foundation in the Russian Federation.

Meet Boris. He was able to gain reinforcement skills of walking, repeating different skills, such as rolling plastic balls and buttoning buttons on clothes. He has also learned to wear shoes. He was able to be supplied with a teacher that helped him develop his skills. WFCF was able to help by funding Dinema’s Dream Foundation in the Russian Federation.

Meet Nikolay. He was able perfect different skills, such as holding a pencil and a paint brush, pick out similar images and can now pick up objects. He was able to be supplied with a tutor that helped him develop his skills, such as building a tower of cubes. WFCF was able to help by funding Dinema’s Dream Foundation in the Russian Federation.

Meet Oxana. She is now able to walk for longer distances, can listen to poetry and look at illustration in books and select corresponding objects. She was able to be supplied with a tutor that helped him develop his skills, such as grasping the meaning of “yes” and expressing her needs. WFCF was able to help by funding Dinema’s Dream Foundation in the Russian Federation.

Meet Stacik. He is a 15-year-old orphan in Ukraine. Stacik has cerebral palsy, just like his older sister, and struggles to perform daily tasks. Now, with his “heavy duty” wheelchair provided by WFCF, Stacik can go to the rehab center and holds his entire body in place. This will better his health and quality of life and increase his participation with society and his friends.

Meet Sasha. He is a 7-year-old orphan in Ukraine. Sasha has severe disabilities that require him to use a wheelchair, and he had long struggled to get around the city on city transportation without a wheelchair or stroller that is easily collapsible on buses. With WFCF’s help, he is now able to use public transportation to get around the city.

Meet Martha. She is a 15-year-old orphan in Ukraine. Martha has cerebral palsy and cannot walk or perform daily tasks on her own. With WFCF’s assistance in providing her a heavy-duty wheelchair, she is now able to attend rehab daily. When she was given her new wheelchair, she did not want to be taken home but wanted to go in her wheelchair all the way home.

Meet Doris. She is a 12-year-old orphan in the impoverished Mnazimoji village in rural Kenya. She has hydrocephalus and is unable to speak or move by herself. She has both cognitive and physical disabilities. Doris was very excited about her wheelchair. She smiled and laughed often as the wheelchair was fitted to her exact measurements and needs, which included a seatbelt and side support.

Meet Elvis, a 3-year-old orphan in the Musifini village in rural Kenya. He has hydrocephalus and is cognitively and physically impaired. Doris was very excited about her wheelchair. He is not able to walk or talk and suffers from severe malnutrition. Elvis required a seat belt and stabilizing foot board. His mother was thrilled with the wheelchair as Elvis requires 24-hour care, and prior to receiving the wheelchair, she was carrying him everywhere with her.

Meet Peter, a 10-year-old orphan in the Masheheni village in rural Kenya. He has cognitive and physical disabilities, which includes severe motor limitations. He can move by crawling but cannot stand and his head is not supported by his neck. Because he is always crawling around, he gets skin rashes and infections. He sleeps most of the time and suffers from extreme malnutrition. WFCF provided wheelchair with a seat belt and side accommodations.

Meet James, a 17-year-old HIV/AIDS orphan living in Masheheni village in rural Kenya with his elderly grandmother. James has severe cognitive and physical disabilities and requires constant supervision as he cannot move on his own or feed himself. He cannot walk and shas dicciculty sitting. James now has a wheelchair as well as his own bed with a mosquito net. James required a seatbelt for his chair.

Meet Robert, a 10-year-old and lives in the Sabaki village in Kenya. He has cognitive and physical disabilities which cause him to not be able to walk or sit by himself. He is severely malnourished. For his wheelchair, Robert required head and neck support, a chest harness and seatbelt. He seemed to be happy in his wheelchair and smiled repeatedly.

Meet John, a 2-year-old living in the Kapapuni village in Kenya. He has severe cognitive and physical disabilities, which cause him to not be able to hear, see, talk, walk or raise his head.He had never been seen by a doctor before. For his wheelchair, John required both head and neck supports, a chest harness, seat belt, and foot supports.

Meet Helen, a 9-year-old living in the Marikebuni village in Kenya. She is extremely malnourished and has cognitive and physical disabilities causing her to not be able to talk or feed herself. For her wheelchair, Helen required head and neck support in addition to a chest harness and seat belt. Helen was able to look around once in her wheelchair, with her head and neck upright and supported.

Meet the Ali Sisters- Neema and Miriam, living in the village of Lwandani in Kenya. Neema has cognitive and physical disabilities. For her wheelchair, Neema required head and neck supports, as well as a chest harness, seat belt, and leg restraints. Miriam sleeps most of the time and like her sister, needs a medical consultation to receive medication for seizures. For her wheelchair, Miriam required head support, leg restraints, a chest harness, and a seatbelt.

Meet Phillip, a 3-year-old in the village of Masheheni in Kenya. He has a heart condition and is not growing normally. Phillip needed sandals with arch supports, even though he was walking normally and did not need a wheelchair. When he was taken to t the clinic in Mombasa, Philip was fitted with custom sandals with arch supports, funded by WFCF.

Meet Dennis, a 2-year-old living in the Mnazimoja village in Kenya. He has cognitive and physical disabilities. He may have a form of dwarfism as well as microcephaly. Dennis went to Mombasa and was assessed for speech and dwarfism. Because of Dennis’s size, he is too small for a wheelchair, so a special chair was built for him. He seemed to like being upright in the chair, rather than crawling.

Meet Everlynn, a 10-year-old living in the Sabaki village in Kenya. Both of Everlynn’s hands and feet are clubbed and due to her limited mobility, she has never been able to go to school. Everlynn went to Mombasa to be fitted for a custom pediatric wheelchair and was assessed by a physical therapist. Now with her wheelchair, she will likely be able to attend school which her father is very grateful for.

Meet Yang Heng Hang, a young man with profound and multiple disabilities who needs equipment that is specialized and adjustable. Unfortunately, his previous wheelchair was too small, and he was at great risk for developing skeletal deformities. He was given a new x:panda high-quality wheelchair which provides tilt in space, additional support laterals, medials, and a seat and back that can be expanded. It will undoubtedly provide much comfort to him as he grows.

Meet Yang Ji Fu, a 7-year-old boy who was too tall to sit in a standard child’s stroller but too small for a transit wheelchair. He was supplied with a transport buggy. He cannot walk support, and this means that his mobility would be extraordinarily limited without this buggy. The buggy allows him, with the support of his caregivers, to get out and about and enjoy the indoors and outdoors with ease.