Masha Somova is 14 years old, she lives with her parents in the city of Kovrov, Vladimir region. The girl grew up active, went in for sports, but three years ago she was diagnosed with scoliosis. Neither swimming nor special exercises helped - the curvature increased markedly, a hump grew on the back. Now it is hard for Masha to sit and it is difficult to breathe. Only an operation on the spine - the installation of a fixing metal structure - can help. The operation itself will be carried out at the expense of the state budget, but the expensive construction must be paid for. Masha's parents do not have that kind of money.
Every fifteen minutes Masha runs up to the open window - tries to breathe in as much air as possible, and then sits down again for her lessons. The girl has severe scoliosis: the spine is twisted so badly that the lungs are compressed - there is not enough oxygen all the time.
Now, like all high school students, Masha studies at home. She can sit at the computer for no more than an hour and a half - her back begins to hurt a lot. Then the girl lies down on "needles". This is how Elena's mother calls the machine the Kuznetsov iplikator, which allows you to relieve tension from the back.
The disease did not appear immediately. According to Elena, there were no problems with little Masha at all. Smart, calm, independent, combative.
“At the age of seven, she wanted to practice martial arts,” Elena recalls. - I tell her: you're a girl, let's sign up for a dance. No, martial arts, that's all. True, two years later the section had to be left - the away competitions were too expensive for us. My daughter said: "Nonsense, I will go to orienteering and basketball - it's free."
The coach made a tall girl striker and did not lose. Masha could throw the ball into the basket from almost anywhere in the gym. For her team, she was a talisman and always brought victory.
The first to notice the curvature of the spine was a surgeon during a medical examination at school. This happened two years ago, when Masha was just 12 years old. The doctor recommended to urgently consult a specialist at the district clinic.
There was no orthopedist in Kovrov. The girl was examined by a surgeon and advised to do exercises to strengthen the muscles of the back, drink vitamins and wear a corset. She was not sent for an X-ray. Masha conscientiously fulfilled all appointments and continued to play sports. By the age of 13, the girl has grown noticeably.
- One day she bent down, and I see - she has a hump on her back! - says Elena. - And the shoulders are skewed.
An orthopedist from Vladimir, who was then consulting in Kovrov, immediately sent Masha for an X-ray of the spine. Based on the results, Masha was diagnosed with scoliosis of the 3rd degree, exercise therapy, massage, and classes in the pool. And they banned basketball.
Masha did special gymnastics at home and in the clinic, swam in the pool, and underwent a massage course every three months. But the scoliosis progressed, severe back pains appeared, the skewed shoulder line increased, the pelvic lines were curved, a rib hump formed, which could hardly be hidden under loose clothing. And then Masha began to choke.
Elena took her daughter to Moscow, to the National Medical Research Center of Traumatology and Orthopedics, for a consultation with Professor Kolesov.
After the examination, the doctor said that conservative treatment methods are already useless. Only surgical correction of the spine with the use of a special fixing hardware can help. If the operation is not performed, then the risk of neurological complications, including paralysis, is high.
Two years ago, when Masha was healthy, instead of a New Year's present, she asked her mother to transfer money for an operation to an unknown girl: “There are many of us, and if everyone shares a little bit, we will save someone’s life,” Masha said then. Now she needs help herself.
Head of the Department of Spinal Pathology at the National Medical Research Center for Traumatology and Orthopedics named after N. N. Priorova Sergey Kolesov (Moscow): “Masha has dysplastic thoracolumbar scoliosis of the 4th, most severe degree. Despite the conservative treatment that the girl has undergone for the past two years, her condition has worsened, the deformity of the spine is progressing, and the risk of neurological complications, including paralysis, increases. Masha needs urgent surgical treatment: correction and fixation of the spine using special hardware. The operation will help avoid possible complications and improve the girl's posture and appearance, her quality of life after the adaptation period will significantly increase."
The cost of the metal structure is 921,760 rubles.
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