History

Early Work with Disabled Children in Crimea
PROP Programs from 2001 to 2006
Success Stories of PROP's Most Disabled Children

Early Work with Disabled Children in Crimea

The Pendill Fund is an outgrowth of a summer program initiated by Grant and Galina Pendill in 2000, when they first decided to help disabled children in Russia.

In 1999, Galina Pendill traveled to Evpatoria, Crimea to find the gravesite of her great grandmother. While there, she visited one of Evpatoria's best health spas, or as they are known there, sanatoriums, where disabled children were provided with good medical treatment. Crimea was known for centuries for its excellent health care for sufferers of arthritis, rheumatism and other ailments. Sanatoriums were frequented primarily by the nobility and the upper class, who could afford “the waters.” After the Russian Revolution in 1917, the private mansions lining the boardwalk were converted to health sanatoriums for preventive care for the public. With the fall of the Soviet Union, by 1999 most sanatoriums were forced to close down, and only a few were operational. Seeing what good care disabled children were receiving there, Galina Pendill inquired if orphans were ever accepted as patients, and was told that it was “very expensive.” The actual cost was ten dollars per day for five meals, full medical treatment, massage, mud baths, mineral waters, salt chamber inhalation and many other procedures. The sanatorium was located amidst a beautifully landscaped six-acre park.

When Grant and Galina Pendill shared with their friends their dream of taking disabled Russian orphans to this Black Sea sanatorium, many expressed their desire to help. Instituting a matching program, $13,000 was raised, more than enough to send the first thirty-five disabled orphans for a month. The Charities Aid Foundation, Moscow, helped them to identify the most reliable orphanages. Since Moscow orphanages had more resources, the Pendills decided to sponsor children from such cities as Petrozavodsk, Novgorod and Dmitrovsk. Three orphanages were persuaded to send their most disabled orphans, diagnosed with cerebral palsy and ranging in age from ten to eighteen years, to Crimea.

The Pendills intended this to be a one-time summer program. Since their only previous experience with children was with their own six, it was with trepidation that they met the first 35 orphans arriving in Evpatoria on July 8, 2000. From that moment on, life acquired a new meaning. Neither Grant nor Galina was prepared to see so many kids with major congenital birth defects; most striking was the absence of limbs. It looked as if their mothers might have taken Thalidomide while pregnant, resulting in babies born with undeveloped or missing arms and legs.

The first to disembark was a small girl with rather large features. She looked to be eight years old, but was actually twelve. Olga gave a big smile and promptly proceeded to organize the rest of the kids who towered over her: she told them to walk in pairs and be careful of the railroad tracks and moving trains. She was a real mother hen. While Grant was busy handling the luggage, Galina walked next to a lovely, frail looking 15-year-old girl, Masha, who was swaying from side to side and looked as if she was about to fall. Her left arm ended just below the elbow, with tiny baby toes at the end of it. Her right hand was functional, although greatly disfigured from the many operations Masha had undergone at birth to separate her joined fingers.

The following day, Galina met with the doctor. She wanted to know about each child. As they were talking there was a knock on the door and the doctor invited Masha to come in. "Take off your sneakers" she said gently. Masha removed her shoes, which were falling apart. She then proceeded to pull off what looked like a tiny boot. Next, she removed what looked like an ace bandage. Masha remained standing, clutching the chair. Her bone thin legs, looking more like stilts, ended abruptly. Masha had no feet.

Several other children were admitted to the summer program, making a total of forty-five. Nastya, a twelve year old girl, had both arms missing. Sasha, a very talented artist, had no fingers and was missing a foot and half a leg. Most children were limping. Two were mentally retarded. Several were in wheel chairs or on crutches or were using walkers. Valya, a sixteen-year-old girl, had had over fifty surgeries to correct her numerous anomalies. Alexander had major osteoporosis, with his spine bending at a ninety degree angle. Andrei was born with his head facing backwards and was incarcerated in multiple casts as a baby to turn his body around.

The foundation for today's Pendill Fund was laid that summer in Evpatoria. Maimed, malnourished and forgotten children now had five good meals a day, received vitamins and medication and were assigned various procedures which improved their health. Every day, they swam and exercised in the fresh air. In the best possible sanatorium, earlier admitting only high level Communist party members and their families, the children made remarkable progress even after just one month.

The Pendill Russian Orphan Program (PROP) is formed
After returning home from Evpatoria, the Pendills tried to resume their former life, but images of the disabled orphans whom they had met that summer left a lasting impact, leading to the creation of the Pendill Russian Orphan Program (PROP). The American-Russian Aid Association-Otrada, (ARAA-Otrada), a New York State non-profit organization established in 1968, became interested in the Pendill Russian Orphan Program and invited PROP to come under its wing in 2001.

Every year support for PROP grew. Donations came mostly from individual Americans; the International Women's Club of Moscow; ARAA Otrada, the Beloselsky- Belozersky Foundation and gradually, from Russian citizens and organizations. In 2004 a generous donor gave PROP a significant boost allowing PROP to pay for several surgeries abroad.