MARAT from European Union

Marat was born in September 2018 and spent his first few months of life in the hospital before being placed in an orphanage. He has been diagnosed with complex congenital heart defects (which have required several surgical interventions and continue to be monitored), hydrocephalus, and right hemiparesis. Marat’s right femur is shorter than his left which is being addressed via a shoe lift. His development is delayed. Update July 2022: Our in-country representative visited Marat and learned that he is often sick with viral infections as he was on the day of her visit. An orthopedist has determined that both of his legs are of the same length although it appears to be otherwise visually due to the right hemiparesis. His hydrocephalus is stable and does not require surgical intervention at this time. Currently nonverbal and rarely observed to babble, Marat is communicating certain needs and desires through gestures and facial expressions. He does not initiate play but participates when others do. He attempts to imitate what is shown to him and may get frustrated when he does not succeed. Marat’s attention span is short. Per the pedagogue that works with him regularly, Marat is expected to accelerate in his development now that he walks independently due to increased opportunity for peer contact. He has been moved to a new group in the orphanage and has adjusted well June 2022: Marat is a calm boy who enjoys the company of others. He can walk independently and likes to spend an increasing amount of time playing with other children and toys. He is quite active, relishing in individual attention, music, and rhythmic movements, and moving around accessible spaces. He babbles long strings of syllables and smiles when someone speaks to him. Marat eats and sleeps well but is not yet potty trained. This little boy works with a multi-disciplinary intervention team and will require both medical care and a variety of therapies if adopted into a loving permanent family.