December 18, the Handicapped Children’s Early Social Rehabilitation Center of Volochysk received its first patients . The new and much-needed institution has an extraordinary history. Last Christmas Eve, this Ukrainian town was visited by Kostiantyn Vorona, President of the Ukrainian American Students’ Union, bringing UASU presents for the handicapped children. He also met with their parents. The latter asked him questions about handicapped children in North America. “Kostiantyn told us that there are special institutions for them in the US. He showed good will, making the first donation for the Volochysk Center,” Valery Slipchuk, deputy head of the Volochysk district state administration, told The Day.
The student returned to Chicago to proceed with his studies, but the benevolent project started by him was continued by local authorities together with his father Mykola Vorona, a noted businessman of Khmelnytsky, director general of Kooperator. “Mr. Vorona contributed over 50,000 hryvnias for the renovation of the old building. He kept an eye on how everything was done, too,” Mr. Slipchuk went on to say.
There are 64 handicapped children, aged 1-16, living in Volochysk and the neighboring villages. Thirty-six of them suffer from cerebral palsy. Until recently their parents had to cope with their problems on their own. Now, finally, the Center has medical equipment, even toys and games. And there are experts to take care of the children, including experts on rehabilitation, psychoanalysts, physicians, and masseurs. “Until the New Year they will work on a voluntary basis, for budget financing hasn’t started as yet,” the deputy head of the district state administration pointed out.
When asked for comment, Serhiy Kindzersky, head of the labor and social protection department of the Khmelnytsky regional state administration, told The Day, “Treating handicapped children this way is world standard. Experts will help them adjust themselves to an independent lifestyle. Until now their parents had to spend spent day and night with their bedridden children. Their families could hardly make ends meet; sometimes it resulted in divorce. Now these children will be taught to live on their own and even find a job.”
Kostiantyn Vorona flew from America to attend the ceremony of opening the Volochysk rehabilitation center. He did not come empty-handed, bringing a television-recorder set. This time he visited as Head of the Youth Council of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America. “Our activists earned money for this present by taking part in festivals and other cultural events,” he said.
Back in the United States, Mr. Vorona will share his impressions with fellow Ukrainian American students. To him, the center was as good as anywhere in the States or in any other civilized country. Regrettably, not all of the handicapped children of Volochysk district can be accommodated by the rehabilitation center. “We have problems getting such children transport from remote villages. We’ll try to solve it next spring,” promised Valery Slipchuk. However, he wasn’t sure about the center’s finance sources or where the handicapped children’s mothers would find jobs.
