This Is The Miraculous Story of Sasha’s Life. This is how it all began for Sasha (December 20, 2006)

You are born talented, smart and gifted. You are full of life. You have different desires, ambitions. You are a curious, funny 15-year-old teen-ager and a whole interesting life stands in front of you. But…   You are an orphan. Your parents left you in the hospital because you were born without legs and you have only 4 fingers on each hand.

Sasha Shul’chev lives in a Russian orphanage for special needs children in a little town called Nizhniy Lomov in the middle of nowhere. Next year he must leave the orphanage, which is his home today and where he has love from caretakers, teachers, and friends. He is special. Difficult orphanage life and his physical condition didn’t destroy his soul. He is a funny, kind and open-minded teenager. He loves art, movies, and architecture, but he can see this world only from a tiny TV screen in the orphanage.

Where will his future take him? Sasha can go only to an invalid’s home for young adults. But he wants to study. He wants to go to college. No, he can’t. Typically, invalids are not going to universities in Russia. Not even simple ramps are built in public places in this big country of enormous natural resources. He wants to be useful and needed. He writes beautiful stories and poems. He is a young poet. So what. No one needs him without legs. The invalids home or the street - these are the two options for Sasha. The street will swallow him and digest him whole. It will make him an alcoholic or a drug-addicted beggar. Criminals will use him. Typical. There is no future, no survival and no hope for a decent life for those like Sasha in their own motherland. She doesn’t care.

Chance…there is a chance! Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children in Dallas, Texas will treat Sasha and the physicians there will try to make prosthesis for him. Sasha may walk. There is a family who will host Sasha while he undergoes surgery and rehabilitation. There might be a family who will adopt him. Time is short. Children can only be adopted before the age of 16. There is still a hope. Sasha is arriving in the U.S at JFK airport on December 24, 2006, just in time for Christmas. His life could be changed forever.

A fund was created by Happy Families International Center, Inc. to bring him and his escort to the U.S. and it covered his traveling expenses. Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children will generously treat him. The expenses for his recuperation after surgery may be between $5,000 and $10,000, depending upon any complications that may arise and the length of his stay. Your generosity and compassion is urgently needed to help change his life.

Donations can be sent to Happy Families International Center, Inc. with the memo: Sasha’s Fund. All donations are tax deductible. Tax ID # 14-1772566.

Thank You.

Updates

January 18, 2007
On Christmas Eve, getting the last available seat on the plane Sasha arrived in Dallas, where he met his wonderful host family Helena and Mike. Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children in Dallas, Texas performed incredible surgery on Sasha. The deformed parts of his legs have been amputated and he is now recuperating at home with his host family in Dallas. Once recovered, the physicians in this hospital will fit him with prosthesis’ and he will begin living the dream he has always had: to learn how to walk on his own! We will continue to update you with his progress.

April 16, 2007
Sasha is now learning how to walk on his new prosthesis! He is still staying with the same incredible family, Helene and Mike in Dallas, who helped him go through all the difficult times during surgery and rehabilitation. This talented 15 year-old boy already speaks English and does not need an interpreter any longer! Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children has been both incredible and generous. Besides performing the surgery on his legs, they have also provided a tremendous amount of dental work free of charge. The wonderful Doctors and Nurses have helped Sasha to make his dream come true: he is now walking!

August 22, 2007
Sasha has been traveling on his own throughout the whole summer, meeting his new friends!

January 2008
The miracle continues. In January of 2008, Sasha went to a Colorado ski resort. The Scottish Rite Hospital For Children has been running an incredible ski program for children on prosthetics. Doctors, Nurses and therapists, volunteers and staff along with 14 children who had surgery in this hospital spent one week skiing all together. Sasha was part of this, this year and he was one of the best skiers!

Natasha and Sasha	Sasha and Dan