Therapy for 30 disabled children in rural Moldova

Thank you to everyone who has donated to help our small charity.  Today we bring you the story of Ana, one of the children we help here at the Wish.

Ana is eleven now, and she has been coming to the Wish since she was five.  Ana had a difficult start in life.  She used to live in the countryside with her mother, who is disabled, and her grandfather.  After her grandfather died her mother couldn't cope financially or practically.  Fortunately, the wider family were able to help and Ana now lives in Calarasi with her aunt.

Ana also has Down syndrome.  Her aunt is working hard to try and meet her additional needs and brought her to the Wish.  When we first saw her aged five her language skills were poor, as well as her co-ordination and fine motor skills.  We provide her with a personalised programme of therapy including speech therapy.  She also takes part in a whole range of activities, both educational activities and social ones.  Ana is integrated into a local mainstream school, but she only attends two days a week.  This makes our services absolutely vital both for her and her family.

Ana is lucky in that in her aunt's family she feels loved and important as a member of the family.  Eugenia strives to educate her properly and to be her mother and close friend as well.  We support her aunt and mother by teaching them about Down Syndrome and about some of the strategies and techniques we use to work effectively with Ana.  We are fortunate to have formed a good team with her family - together we can give Ana much more support than either of us can alone.

We are delighted to see the progress that Ana has made, and to see her enjoying our group activities so much.  It is very much for Ana, and other children like her, that we are appealing today, on Giving Tuesday.  It is so important that Ana's care is not interrupted, and so we are doing all we can to fill gaps in our local funding.  If you donate before midnight (UK or US EST), you will help us win a share of $1,200,000 being distributed by GlobalGiving.  The more you donate, the larger the share we win.  Can you help us raise $5,300 (£4,300) this Giving Tuesday so that we can continue to be there for Ana and her family (as well as 29 other children and young people)?