The defiant girl who longs to stand tall

After suffering from a spinal cord injury two years ago, Vlada Kravchenko hopes she will be able to stand up without anyone’s help in the coming year.

The 19-year-old former gymnast will be setting off to Russia for her third cycle of stem cell treatment in January after which she is hoping to be able to stand up alone.

Ms Kravchenko suffered a spinal cord injury when a lighting structure fell on her during a party in Qawra in September 2008. She had been told she would never walk again but the determined teenager decided to try out experimental stem cell treatment at the Neurovita Clinic in Moscow. After her second treatment session last July, she developed her hip muscles, which gave her the control to crawl and stand with some help. Now, four months later, she has made more progress.

“I feel I’m getting stronger and can now stand up without feeling dizzy. After this third treatment, I’m expecting to stand up alone, without the help of my mum or my standing frame,” she said.

Ms Kravchenko explained the treatment alone was not enough. She had to undergo specialised rehabilitation.

The treatment itself will cost her about €7,000 that would involve a two-week stay in Russia. But she is hoping to stay for a month to benefit from the rehabilitation that would cost her double the amount.

Ms Kravchenko is trying to get funds to help bring special rehabilitation equipment to Malta for those with spinal cord injuries. There is no such machinery on the island. She applied to various organisations, including the Malta Community Chest Fund and the National Commission Persons with Disability, to fund the equipment that could be used for other patients.

She has been living in Malta since she was nine, together with her Ukranian mother who shares her enthusiasm to see her defy all odds. Together, they have already spent more than €30,000 on the experimental stem cell treatment. It involves extraction of adult cells from her body and inserting them into her spine to help their regeneration of the nerve and spinal cord and improve mobility.

Ms Kravchenko has had to put off going to the University for at least a year to focus her energy and money on getting better.

A series of fund-raising events are under way to collect money for the young woman’s next treatment session. Her former school, St Michael’s, raised €3,400 earlier this month during a dress-down day when students of the primary and secondary schools donated money in exchange for not wearing their uniforms. The Help Vlada campaign, set up by her friends and relatives, will be holding a fund raising lunch on December 13 at the San Antonio Hotel in Qawra.

Donate to the Help Vlada campaign by sending an SMS to 5061 7382 (€2.33), 5061 8918 (€6.99), 5061 9201 (€11.65) or visit www.helpvlada.com.