Hope Center

Ismail lives with his grandmother in our city because there is no therapy center or school in the remote countryside where his parents live.  He has been coming to our center for almost two years.  His grandmother faithfully brings him and gets involved in the therapy, learning how to perform effective stretches and exercises to help prevent Ismail's muscles from contracting.  When he first arrived he could not walk due to the way his legs were affected by Diplegic Cerebral Palsy.  Though he still has difficulty, Ismail now can walk on his own.  Hope Center gave him a bicycle courtesy of a GMA donor which allowed Ismail to complete the distance from his house to the center by himself, thus strengthening his self-confidence and his body at the same time.

Recently Hope Center was able to help enroll Ismail in first grade at a local primary school.  Not all schools here accept children with a handicap, though they are mandated to.  Ismail's future lies in receiving continued therapy and education.  His bright smile and cheerful disposition help him see the future as an opportunity.  He has hope.