This is Matvey. He was born eight years ago and lives in a wheelchair.
Eight years ago his mother did not know about the possibility of intrauterine surgery so that he could be born healthy. At that time no one in Russia knew about it.
Matvey's mother founded the foundation for children with Spina Bifida, which has a program to help pregnant women who are expecting a child diagnosed with Spina Bifida.
Spina Bifida is a congenital pathology, an incomplete closure of the neural tube, the future of the spine, which forms a spinal hernia and causes problems with walking, urology and several other body systems.
In the 5 years of the foundation's existence, more than 50 women from Russia have already been able to have an intrauterine operation to correct Spina Bifida and give birth to significantly healthy children, changing their lives.
The foundation raises funds for a program to help pregnant women waiting for a child with a Spina Bifida diagnosis.
With the funds raised, the program's curator will be able to:
- Inform even more women about ways to prevent the congenital pathology of Spina Bifida
- Organize a training course for ultrasound technicians, so that this pathology can be found as early as possible, because intrauterine surgery can be performed when diagnosed before 21 weeks.
- Will be able to arrange support for pregnant women who come to the foundation (arrival in Moscow, accommodation, food, examination, preparation for delivery).
- Will be able to route pregnant women for intrauterine surgery.
- Organize and make arrangements with a maternity hospital where a baby with Spina Bifida can be born safely.
- Organize and connect with a doctor who can do the baby's surgery immediately after birth.
- Organize psychological and legal assistance for the family.
Currently about 10 pregnant women and women with newborn children per month apply to the foundation. This means that through this program we will be able to help up to 60 newborn babies a year.
We are raising money to run the program for the next five months. Support the Spina Bifida Foundation so that the foundation staff can in turn provide skilled and knowledgeable assistance to expectant mothers.