Igor’s Update June 2014

Igor is a tough little guy. He’s gone through surgeries and lives in an institution in Ukraine.  Even though he has hydrocephalus, he doesn’t give up. His caregiver Artem gives us a report.  Artem is his caregiver at the asylum.

This month there have been some additional improvements in Igor’s rehabilitation. He has learned to sit in a chair. That is, he can now sit and eat at the dinner table. In general, you can seat him now anywhere and he sits with confidence. Igor loves to put his head in someone’s lap and when sitting in someone’s lap, he puts his head on their shoulder and starts smiling.

Igor stands well independently when holding on to something, for example, a table corner or window sill. But after a while he lets go with one hand and starts hitting himself.

He does not hit himself with the lower jaw against his chest as much. We take off his collar very often. If someone is just sitting next to him, he doesn’t hit. As soon as you walk away, he begins hitting.

His mood is more or less stable. He almost never has spontaneous tantrums anymore.

I’ve noticed that he has become more friendly with the other kids and has stopped being afraid of them, the way he was before. Igor allows other children to touch him, or take his hand. In the past, in this situation, he would either start crying or just scream. Of course, he still likes to sit by himself without being touched, usually while watching television.

He becomes upset when he wants to be fed more. He begins to yell, when he sees other children being fed, while he is not eating. This is usually pertains to dessert, especially cottage cheese.

Translated by Kat Dudina

To help cutie pies like Igor, click HERE.

Original Russian