Sonya received a six-month supply of therapeutic foods

Merry Sonya from Krasnodar is 10 years old. She was born with Down syndrome. Until she was four months old, she was gaining weight well and developing with a slight lag, but gradually the situation began to deteriorate. When Sonya was three years old, one day after an afternoon nap, she suddenly stopped breathing. The ambulance took the child to the intensive care unit. After an MRI scan, the doctors determined the cause of the lag - a congenital malformation of the craniovertebral junction - the place where the skull meets the cervical spine. In Krasnodar, Sonya underwent a complicated surgery and a tracheostomy to stop her suffocation. For a long time doctors could not choose a therapeutic feeding: they tried different, but it was not assimilated. The child had a bloated tummy and belching. Finally they found one which suited her. Since then, Sonya receives it through a tube twice a day, in the morning and in the evening. Since then, the girl has finally started to put on weight. The Vera Foundation has been supporting Sonya and helping with the purchase of food since 2017. Now the parents are very worried that there may be supply disruptions. In order for the family to have peace of mind for six months, they need to buy 180 jars of therapeutic formula. By agreement with the supplier the formula feeding can be brought in June. Sonya's mother Sveta wrote this quatrain about her daughter: What happiness to touch you, Sweet to breathe your fragrance, To smile back at you. Yes, it's not easy, but be there for us. Let's help them be there for as long as possible!