Hesed Helps Nurture a Young Girl's Strength of Spirit

Tasha, 15, lives in the city of Tyumen, in the Urals, where she attends high school. While other young girls her age spend their free time hanging out with friends and going to parties, Tasha's focus is on her mother, Irina, who is bed-ridden as a result of two strokes and her struggle with diabetes.

Despite doctors' prognoses that Irina won't recover, Tasha is hopeful that her mother's condition will improve – and her conviction gives her strength to face the challenges of looking after an ill parent.

Tasha takes after her mother – a determined woman, who for six years has been fighting off the crippling effects of strokes and diabetes. Though she can only move one hand and leg slightly, Irina is persistent in trying to get up and recover some mobility. Tasha is similarly diligent in her studies, in maintaining the house, and being the most caring possible nurse for her mom.

Despite her many responsibilities, Tasha makes time to attend meetings of the synagogue youth club and Shabbat services. Through some of Tasha's friends, the Jewish community of Tyumen learned about her situation at home. The local JDC-sponsored Hesed immediately provided her mother with rehabilitation equipment and offered Tasha homecare services for Irina. "The help of the Jewish community has so greatly improved the quality of our lives," said Tasha. "Now that we have assistance, there is even more hope for the future."