Touring Moscow by the Kremlin. Front Row L-R: Dr. Mary Margaret Windsor, TU faculty; Janice Pearse, Children in Common Representative; Dr. Wendy Hanks, TU faculty; Kim Smith, Monica Pou, Carmella DelVecchio, TU students. Back Row L-R: Nancy Morrison, Children in Common Representative and Physical Therapist; Kelly Strub, TU student; Dr. Sharon Glennen, TU faculty; Kim Fox, Sheri Saltzman, Monica Serdinow, & Will Gottlick, TU students.
On Monday we woke before dawn and prepared for our journey to the first orphanage, Krasniye Dubroviye (KD). Our vans were loaded with donations and we drove through the dark countryside. We were warmly greeted outside by the orphanage staff with a traditional welcome of bread and salt.
Left: St. Basil's Cathedral on a Snowy Evening, Moscow Russia
During our visit at KD we gave Yulia, a young girl with physical disabilities, her first wheelchair. She smiled from ear to ear as she wheeled herself around the orphanage for the first time. Other children were given pediatric walkers and quickly learned to cruise around the room at top speed. We were given a tour of the orphanage farm where cows and chickens were raised to provide nutritional food for the children. Our visit ended with dinner at a local restaurant and a long ride back to Moscow through the snowy night.
Left: Sheri Saltzman, TU speech language pathology student, and a young friend share a smile at one of the orphanages.
We drove to Usnarovsk on Tuesday. This orphanage was much larger and we spent time evaluating some of the children for therapeutic needs. Many children had physical deformities that could have been prevented with early intervention and rehabilitation. The deformities now prevent them from walking or independently dressing or feeding themselves. We were then shown the facilities for children who were less disabled and able to walk. These children participated in training programs designed to teach sewing, knitting, woodworking, cooking, farming and other vocational pursuits. Judging from the talented work produced by some of the children, many of them appeared to be quite bright. As we tour the orphanage, we came to the realization that the ability to walk translated into the ability to participate in educational programs. Children who could walk or roll themselves in wheelchairs participated in many educational activities, those who could not walk were housed separately and not provided with training.
Left: Nancy Morrison, Physical Therapist, and Kim Smith, TU speech language pathology student, examine a child for foot deformities.
One highlight from our trip to Usnarovsk was our visit with Nadia, the orphanage logopedist (speech language pathologist). She brought in two children who were not talking and asked for assistance. Dr. Sharon Glennen demonstrated how to use Russian Sign Language as a communication tool. Within minutes, young Dima learned 5 signs and was actively using them to ask for toys and candy. We gave his logopedist a small dictionary of Russian signs. She stated that she had never thought of using sign language with her caseload but planned to try the technique with other children.
Above: Dr. Sharon Glennen, TU Speech Language Pathology Faculty, helps Dima form the sign for "Samalot" (airplane) as his logopedist and friend Anya watch.
On Wednesday we drove to Dimitrovsky Orphanage. This orphanage housed children who had mild to moderate physical disabilities without cognitive impairments. The orphanage had better resources and spent time showing us their excellent educational and vocational programs for the children. The Director spent time describing the programs she developed to help children as they graduate from the orphanage and transition into the community. The program finds jobs and apartments for the graduates, and provides furnishings and clothing for the first few years. They also open bank accounts and help the graduates manage their money for several years after graduation. Directors from other orphanages who were present asked many questions about how the program was financed and operated. We were very impressed with the educational programs and care of the children at this orphanage. The highlight of our visit was a play based on a Russian Fairy Tale put on by the students. This was followed by a hip-hop student dance group who lip-synced and strutted to a Brittney Spears song.
We returned to Moscow where another dinner of overcooked chicken and potatoes awaited us at our hotel. We ate quickly because later that evening we were scheduled to visit the Bolshoi Ballet. That night we watched a spectacular performance of Swan Lake and saw first-hand that Russians cheer and applaud their ballet artists just like a sporting event. Walking back to our hotel that night, a gentle snow was falling and we were all entranced by the beauty of Moscow in winter.
Right: Training for Logopedists and Psychologists at Dimitrovsky Orphanage. Their therapists demonstrated articulation training techniques, we demonstrated using augmentative and alternative communication methods for children with severe communication disorders. Towson University speech language pathology students Kim Smith, Mariastel Pou, Sheri Saltzman, Kim Fox, and TU faculty member Dr. Sharon Glennen pose with Dimitrovsky staff and some of the therapy materials donated to the orphanage.
Below: Shopping Outdoors at Ismailovsky Market in Moscow. Back L-R: Dr. Sharon Glennen, TU Faculty; Kim Fox, TU Student; Dr. Wendy Hanks, TU FAculty; Will Gottlick, TU Student. Front L-R: Kim Smith, Sheri Saltzman, TU Students; Dr. Mary-Margaret Windsor, TU Faculty; Nancy Morrison, Children in Common Representative and Physical Therapist.
We took a break on Thursday and spent the morning shopping outdoors at Ismailovsky Market in Moscow. It was the coldest day of our trip and we bundled up from head to toe for our four hour outdoor shopping excursion.
On Friday we left in the dark for our final orphanage visit. Sergiev-Posad orphanage was a long drive north of Moscow. The day was warmer with rain, which meant that all of the hard packed snow was turning to slush. We arrived at the gates of the orphanage and were told that our bus could go no further. We loaded all of our equipment into the orphanage's truck and followed behind on a quarter mile walk in the slush and mud. Inside the orphanage we were warmly greeted and once again given a tour of the facilities. Despite the dreary weather outside, inside the orphanage children appeared healthy and happy. The mix of children was similar to what was seen at Usnarovsk. However we were pleased to learn that
educational programs were provided for children who were walking and also provided for many of the children in wheelchairs. Similar to the other orphanages, the children learned cooking, sewing, knitting, woodworking, and other vocational skills. While we visited, the children gave a performance, singing songs and dancing to the strains of Swan Lake. Directors were there from many orphanages in the Moscow Region. We distributed the last of our wheelchairs, walkers, and other therapy materials. At a final wrap-up conference with the Directors, we all agreed that this was hopefully the first of many visits to assist these facilities.
Above: Will Gottlick, TU Audiology Student; and Kelly Strub, TU Occupational Therapy Student, share a moment with two children.
How Can You Help? We hope that our visit to these Russian orphanages was just the beginning of our outreach efforts to these facilities. We are hoping to bring staff from the orphanages to the United States in order to train them in early intervention methods that would help many of the children learn to walk and independently care for themselves and are seeking donations to fund this effort. We are also seeking donations of new or gently used pediatric wheelchairs, walkers, or other rehabilitation equipment to send to these orphanages. For more information, please contact Nancy Morrison at Children in Common, or Dr. Sharon Glennen at Towson University, or visit the Children in Common web site.
