Adoptive Family Sought for Russian Special Needs Child

SYOSSET, NY [OCA Communications]—Pavel “Pasha” Kurov is a bright, friendly little boy who was abandoned to the Ryazan Baby Home in the Ryazan region of Russia on June 26, 2001 at the age of 2 years, 3 months.

According to Mrs. Arlene Kallaur of the Orthodox Church in America’s Office of Humanitarian Aid, which works closely with the Orthodox Christian Adoption Referral Service, Pasha has a rare neurological condition - sacral agenesis - that affects his lower spine and legs. As a result of this, his future in the Russian orphanage system is bleak. Pasha is incontinent, but he is quite mobile and can walk with an awkward gait.

Pasha’s condition is at the milder end of the spectrum. His primary medical need is long- term physiotherapy. As he gets older, some form of catheterization would be necessary so that he can manage his incontinence himself. However, Pasha’s greatest overall need is for a home and a family.

A Scottish woman who volunteered at the orphanage and who spent considerable time with Pasha, wrote, ” Pasha is generally quite a self-sufficient little boy and from a very young age was able to do all sorts of things for himself. I did not see any signs of emotional damage. Because he was abandoned when he was over two years of age, he was given the chance to attach emotionally to the person who cared for him prior to that time and so would have avoided the emotional attachment difficulties that many children develop in institutional care. I have seen in Pasha amazing degrees of strength, determination, gentleness and affection in equal measure.”

If left in the system, Pasha will be locked away in a psycho-neurological clinic where he will receive neither physiotherapy, nor any means of managing incontinence. Instead he will be forced to grow up and enter adulthood wearing diapers or rags, and without physiotherapy, his mobility may well deteriorate.

If you might be that special family or special person who would consider taking Pasha into their home and heart, please contact Mrs. Kallaur by calling the OCA Office of Humanitarian Aid at 516-922-0550, Ext. 126 or by sending an e-mail to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).