Petya Kochetkov's story is a family journey that has spanned nine years, since his birth. And now, thanks to caring people and users of the Tooba platform, this journey has entered a new phase: Petya now has the active wheelchair he needs.
The boy was born at 33 weeks. Immediately, he was taken to intensive care and placed on a ventilator. His mother, Lyubov, never lost hope: she would come to him, sing to him, and he would reach out to her voice and smile. At six months, an osteopath from St. Petersburg diagnosed him with spastic tetraparesis, "full-blown cerebral palsy."
What followed were years of rehabilitation, massages, consultations, hundreds of thousands of rubles, and doctors' promises that this diagnosis could be overcome. The family tried, but miracles were not forthcoming.
The turning point came when they discovered an approach that didn't combat his disabilities, but rather developed his potential—ABM therapy, based on the brain's neuroplasticity. The boy came to life, began composing songs, joking, and reflecting on life. His parents stopped fighting the disease and learned to live peacefully with it.
Today, Petya is a first-grader in an inclusive school. He has intact intelligence and an incredible curiosity. He is studying Chinese, dreams of becoming a hairdresser, and once stood in the salon for an hour with clippers, literally "forgetting" that he couldn't do it. His mother says: "Then they all felt true happiness."
For the last four years, his main transportation was an Ottobock Avantgarde active wheelchair. Petya steered it himself, became more cheerful, and people stopped looking at him with pity. But the boy is growing, and the old wheelchair has become not just cramped—it's dangerous. It worsens spasticity, increases the risk of hip dislocation, which can lead to complex surgeries and ruin years of rehabilitation.
And now—a new chapter. The fundraising is complete. Petya soon received a wheelchair that will stop his deteriorating health and restore his freedom of movement and confidence.
"Thank you for such a wonderful gift! I got a new wheelchair, and I really like it," the boy shared his impressions.
All of this was made possible thanks to you—the people who didn't pass by. Thank you for giving Petya not only a wheelchair, but also the opportunity to explore the world.