Social, Medical Care Helps Ilaha See the Best in Herself
As a result of her family’s inability to afford adequate prenatal care for her mother, Ilaha lost the use of her left eye three months after her birth. It took five years for Ilaha’s family to afford a prosthetic eye, but the need for a replacement prosthesis every six months was a financial hardship. As Ilaha grew, she became aware of people’s stares and their reluctance to accept her. Ilaha felt ugly, and refused to look at herself in a mirror.
As the youngest of five children, Ilaha did not always receive the attention she needed from her parents. Her older sister Aytan, however, developed a deep bond with Ilaha and cared for her as if she was her own child. Yet as Aytan and Ilaha’s other siblings reached adulthood, they became more very involved with their own education and families. The loss of Aytan’s daily companionship combined with Ilaha’s lack of self-esteem caused Ilaha to withdraw further from her family and environment.
Ilaha’s life reached a turning point with the intervention of her local USAID Shuvelan Children and Family Support Center (CFSC). Following a meeting with Ilaha’s family, Shuvelan CFSC staff prepared a customized service plan to enable Ilaha to comfortably play and socialize with other children, and guide her family to better support Ilaha’s development. The Shuvelan CFSC social worker also met with Azerbaijan’s State Committee on Family, Women and Children’s Issues to arrange for Ilaha to be examined at the Baku-based Zarifa Aliyeva Eye Diseases Institute. The Institute provided Ilaha with new eye prosthesis and diagnosed her with undetected disease that had progressed in Ilaha’s remaining eye. Immediate treatment began to save her vision.
Today, with her vision problems under control, ten-year-old Ilaha is more outgoing and sees positive changes in herself. She is actively involved in many CFSC activities, including art enrichment and dance. Now when she looks in the mirror, Ilaha sees a beautiful, happy, and self-confident girl.
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USAID-supported Shuvelan Children and Family Support Center’s programs have made of world of difference to Ilaha, giving her the social and health care support necessary to allow her to now design her own future. She has grown from a withdrawn child to a happy, healthy, self- confident girl.
Photo Credit: Save the Children |
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