Wednesday, December 20, 2000
A family's Christmas wish comes true
Small act of generosity makes big difference for disabled youngster
By Vojtech Saman
It has all the elements of a Hollywood melodrama -- a paralyzed child, a gold-hearted executive, a timely act of generosity. And a dream come true.
They do, sometimes.
The little girl is 5-year-old Sarka Kunstova, from the small town of Rudoltice, southern Bohemia. A pretty child with fine, blonde hair and a heart-melting smile, Sarka suffers from spinal muscular atrophy. The neuromuscular disorder has left her largely paralyzed. Her fingers are one of the few parts of her body she can control.
"She likes to cut with scissors," her mother, Blanka Kunstova, says. "And she enjoys being around other children."
But unable to walk, Sarka wouldn't be able to interact with her growing peers very well when it came time to start school. Nearly as helpless as an infant, she relies entirely on her parents to carry her or wheel her around in a stroller that she has already outgrown. With no cure for her particular paralysis, what kind of future could she expect?
A brighter one, now, with a gift of a yellow electric wheelchair from the private investment and advisory firm Latona Associates of Europe.
The wheelchair was a dream pursued for months by Sarka's mother, who sought help through the state-owned General Health Insurance (Vseobecna zdravotni pojistovna, VZP), but became overwhelmed by paperwork.
Sarka's physician, Dr. Hana Zelenakova sympathized: "The criteria for getting one is almost as tough as the one for a driver's license," she said.
Kunstova finally learned that her daughter would be eligible to receive a wheelchair from VZP in about five years. She appealed to the Health Ministry, but help came from the private sector.
Specifically, it came from Michael Saran, Latona's manager and chief executive officer of the Revitalization Agency, which is responsible for restructuring troubled Czech companies. He also is Zelenakova's brother-in-law.
Zelenakova broached the subject of her young patient cautiously and casually, but there was never really any doubt.
"I've two little girls myself," Saran said. "[Zelenakova] said 'Do you think you could help me raise some money?' And I said I'd do it myself."
Within a few weeks, Saran had put together 140,000 Kc ($3,500) for the wheelchair. "You know, it's a small price to pay to make someone that happy," he said.
Kunstova recalled getting the news. "I almost wanted to cry when I found out Sarka would get her wheelchair," she said. "I could not imagine how she was going to go to school. I am so grateful to Dr. Zelenakova for arranging everything."
It was good fortune and timing. Zelenakova said that many possible donors feel disinclined to give money to foundations, where they may not see the immediate benefits to those in need. "But when you meet desperate parents, you can't help yourself," she said.
Institutional giving isn't as common in the Czech Republic as in the West, but Saran thinks other individuals and organizations might follow Latona's lead.
"I think civic responsibility is something that's pretty developed in the United States, and we as an organization would like to do more," Saran said. "I am sure -- and I do hope -- there are other organizations and individuals out there that take a little time and have the means to contribute to make big differences in people's lives."
As for Sarka, well, she hasn't much to say. A little shy, she declined to speak with reporters, reserving her comments for her mother.
"She will have a beautiful Christmas," her mother said. "The greatest."
Vojtech Saman's e-mail address is
vsaman@praguepost.cz
|
