Misha

The voice on the other end of the line asked Philip if we preferred a boy or a girl, and what age. She said that most likely the child wouldn’t be over nine years of age. That seemed good to us, considering that our youngest child is now ten. Since our ten year old is a girl and had an extra bed in her room we felt a girl would work best. A few days after we had made this initial decision, Philip received a call asking if we would possibly be interested in a fifteen year old boy instead! Because the family had decided on a girl and we had agreed that a younger child would be easier, Philip told her, “No, I don’t think that will work.”

That night when he was sharing with the family about his conversation, the children and I began wondering what would happen to the boy. Our minds raced, and we began rearranging our house, thinking of how this young man might fit into our family. Philip decided that I should at least call and get more information. I snuck off to a quiet part of the house to make the call in private, but it wasn’t long before my husband had snuggled up beside me with his ear to mine.

We found out that the boy’s name was Misha, and he had been born with a birth disorder called Arthrogryposis. Arthrogryposis used to be called a "throw away" disease even by those in the medical profession. Thankfully, surgery (not available in Russia) and people like Alexandra have changed that thinking.



Take a look at a few pictures of a boy named Sasha who had Arthrogryposis. These show how dramatically his life was changed.

Sasha before surgery

Sasha standing tall

The following are a few pictures of Misha taken as a child.

Misha (approximately 6 years old)

Misha and friends

Imagine having a perfectly normal mind that is filled with all sorts of hopes and dreams and being confined to a defective shell that prevents you from living a normal life. I was told that two years ago, he had been approved to come for surgery, but that the paperwork had gotten messed up and another child had come in his place. The clock was ticking away and his window of opportunity would soon be lost forever.

Misha in 2006

If a foster home was found for Misha he would come to a local hospital for surgery that would remove both legs at the knee. They needed host parents to love and care for him during this time and the months of recovery that followed. They ask that a commitment of six months be made, giving enough time for the legs to heal and adoptive parents be found. Since he had already been approved by an American Doctor who said that Misha would be a perfect candidate for prosthesis; the surgery would immensely change his quality of life. No longer would he be confined to crawling on the floor but he would actually be able to stand and walk. As tears rolled down each of our faces, Philip shook his head at me as an indication that I could tell her that we‘d like to get started.

Misha (May 2008)