Help Ganna become a Titanium Lady
Donation protected
My Story
Hi, I’m Ganna, a 29-old lady from Ukraine. At the age of 1 year, I was diagnosed with a disease called Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). In general, it means that muscles of my legs, back and arms become weaker and weaker over years and never get healthy again. When I was 10, I ended up in a wheelchair and have never got up since then. At the same age, a severe scoliosis started to develop rapidly because my muscles were too weak to keep the back in an upright position.
Now, the deformation causes constant discomfort in the back. What’s even more tragic is that my lungs and heart are squeezed because of the curved backbone, which means they can’t function normally. Getting bronchitis or pneumonia can end my life because the lungs are badly deformed, which makes it even easier for infection to remain there. As the backbone is twisted, the nerves and veins in the thighs get squeezed and the legs suffer as well—they are cold and numb almost all the time.
Like most of my peers, I finished school and graduated from university. I adore travelling, visiting art galleries and meeting friends. When I go out, I wear a special medical corset, which is tight and has metal elements. It improves my posture a bit, but also squeezes me, damaging the skin and slightly moving the ribs apart. It hurts a lot. Oh, it does… Traditionally, there are two ways for a person with scoliosis to improve the posture and set the internal organs free. The first is to develop a strong muscle framework with yoga exercises, swimming and workouts—it’s the healthiest way to get a nice back, but this is not for me because of my original disease (if I exercise intensely, my muscles will get worse much faster). The second one is to get an inner corset—a titanium construction installed onto my spine to make it look and feel straight.
In April, I travelled to Helsinki, Finland, for a medical consultation at Orton Orthopaedic Hospital. Dr. Dietrich Schlenzka, the surgeon who helps SMA patients among others, examined me and agreed to perform a spinal fusion surgery on me to straighten the curve significantly! If I don’t have this operation, my spine will eventually implode, and my internal organs will be strangled. The operation is slated for September.
Why would I need this operation so badly? Apart from the medical improvements, it will help me live a fuller, brighter, meaningful life. As a translator and a feature writer covering sustainability, innovative green projects and social causes, I must be in the middle of life. Live it, smell it, taste it, dig into it, not just watch it from a desktop’s screen. With a straight back and no pain, breathing like a normal person, I will be able to develop my full potential (which is huge, believe me), attend more events, get engaged in more offline efforts, get in touch with more people and be a member of local communities and national movements. It will give me more opportunities to raise awareness about disabled people in my country by participating in themed conferences... and just by going out and showing myself to people more often. There’s a lot to be done by me in this area. People who know me say I have a strong mental core… now I need a physical projection of it!
The operation’s cost is 40,340 euros. My family, friends and I can’t pay it without help. Please, support me and help fund the surgery, which will save my life, help my lungs breathe and my heart beat on! I appreciate even the smallest donation—if you can’t donate any money, please share my story. Thank you in advance!
www.facebook.com/help.ganna
Hi, I’m Ganna, a 29-old lady from Ukraine. At the age of 1 year, I was diagnosed with a disease called Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). In general, it means that muscles of my legs, back and arms become weaker and weaker over years and never get healthy again. When I was 10, I ended up in a wheelchair and have never got up since then. At the same age, a severe scoliosis started to develop rapidly because my muscles were too weak to keep the back in an upright position.
Now, the deformation causes constant discomfort in the back. What’s even more tragic is that my lungs and heart are squeezed because of the curved backbone, which means they can’t function normally. Getting bronchitis or pneumonia can end my life because the lungs are badly deformed, which makes it even easier for infection to remain there. As the backbone is twisted, the nerves and veins in the thighs get squeezed and the legs suffer as well—they are cold and numb almost all the time.
Like most of my peers, I finished school and graduated from university. I adore travelling, visiting art galleries and meeting friends. When I go out, I wear a special medical corset, which is tight and has metal elements. It improves my posture a bit, but also squeezes me, damaging the skin and slightly moving the ribs apart. It hurts a lot. Oh, it does… Traditionally, there are two ways for a person with scoliosis to improve the posture and set the internal organs free. The first is to develop a strong muscle framework with yoga exercises, swimming and workouts—it’s the healthiest way to get a nice back, but this is not for me because of my original disease (if I exercise intensely, my muscles will get worse much faster). The second one is to get an inner corset—a titanium construction installed onto my spine to make it look and feel straight.
In April, I travelled to Helsinki, Finland, for a medical consultation at Orton Orthopaedic Hospital. Dr. Dietrich Schlenzka, the surgeon who helps SMA patients among others, examined me and agreed to perform a spinal fusion surgery on me to straighten the curve significantly! If I don’t have this operation, my spine will eventually implode, and my internal organs will be strangled. The operation is slated for September.
Why would I need this operation so badly? Apart from the medical improvements, it will help me live a fuller, brighter, meaningful life. As a translator and a feature writer covering sustainability, innovative green projects and social causes, I must be in the middle of life. Live it, smell it, taste it, dig into it, not just watch it from a desktop’s screen. With a straight back and no pain, breathing like a normal person, I will be able to develop my full potential (which is huge, believe me), attend more events, get engaged in more offline efforts, get in touch with more people and be a member of local communities and national movements. It will give me more opportunities to raise awareness about disabled people in my country by participating in themed conferences... and just by going out and showing myself to people more often. There’s a lot to be done by me in this area. People who know me say I have a strong mental core… now I need a physical projection of it!
The operation’s cost is 40,340 euros. My family, friends and I can’t pay it without help. Please, support me and help fund the surgery, which will save my life, help my lungs breathe and my heart beat on! I appreciate even the smallest donation—if you can’t donate any money, please share my story. Thank you in advance!
www.facebook.com/help.ganna
Organizer
Ganna Rudenko
Organizer
