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Dear  ''Dnipro Kids" Committee and all our sponsors in Scotland!

On November 16, on Sunday, Natalie went to Odinkovka at midday to take Nastya Devyatova from the Odinkovka orphanage to our house, because we had to leave Dnipro at 5 o'clock in the morning next day to be in Kharkov at 9 a.m. Nastya was ready, packed her travel bag 2 days ahead. All the children of orphanage were excited waiting for that event - Nastya's trip for the surgery to Kharkov. So, Nastya enjoyed a family meal and the night with us celebrating her going to the Clinic for the surgery.

At 5am in the morning on Monday the taxi came to our house and we left for Kharkov. We picked up Odinkovka Director (Tatyana Ivanovna ) on the way to Kharkov and by 9.30am we were at the Clinic. It was raining heavily, so I’m afraid I could not take any pictures and they do not like photographs being taken inside the hospital.

 

It was half expected when we arrived that they would say they could not take Nastya, and so it was that we found them telling us that they did not have vacant beds any more. I stood firm and insisted on talking to the Chief Doctor of the Department. The thing is that I spent nearly 3 hours on Friday talking to the people from this department on the phone and ensuring that it would be okay. On the phone they assured me that Nastya would be taken if we bring her on Monday, because she is an orphanage child and also because she was from a different city. Can you imagine our feelings, especially Nastya's, when they told they do not have a place for her?! They told us they had 40 beds and that Nastya was the 69th child in the queue for surgery!

To make a long story short, we were told to wait for the Chief to return from his morning staff meeting – only he can decide if they take Nastya for the surgery to be done. We waited for couple hours and at last the Chief appeared. He looked at Nastya's leg, talked to her a while telling the things that I had told her many times "It will be hard, painful, long, that she needs patience and strong determination to become healthy". We all stood firm and the Chief said he would find a bed.

The surgery will be done, we hope so, but they hinted that they badly need a new coagulator for the Department. They did not demand it exactly but it will need to be purchased to ensure the quality of everything they will do for Nastya. We say in Russian that "for free" can be only cheese in a mouse trap... The cost of this medical equipment (if it is Ukrainian produced) is 13,000 grivnas (roughly £1,500).

I talked with Nastya today and she says she is already in her permanent "palata". A “palata” is what we call a hospital ward. I will keep you updated on Nastya’s progress over the coming months.

Nastya says "Hi" and huge ''thank you" to everybody who is helping her.

Ira.

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