There is a puppet theater in Kiev where main artists are seriously ill children.

A Kiever Rivil Kofman for 9 years in a row treats children with oncology diseases and disseminated sclerosis. Though once doctors predicted life in a wheel-chair for her – a medical record has the following entry: "Cannot manage unassisted". Nevertheless, not only did she recover, but she also created a theatre where young actors play, live and learn how to deal with illness. Unfortunately, there are not funds for a full oncology centre so far...

She heals children doctors refused to treat.

– Thoughts are material, – Rivil is convinced. – The most important is to make a person believe in own forces. Imakeapuppet, createafairytaleandgotoasickchild. At first, a kid talks to a puppet, and then to me – as puppet’s mother...

Knowing their dreadful diagnosis, with my help and with the help of a puppet, children choose imaginary weapon and start fighting the tumor by “shooting” it. Pieces remaining in their imagination – metastasis – are collected in virtual "shovel" and thrown into the oven. Nothing can resist desire in this world. I change consciousness of sick people and make them believe in better things.

The woman was inspired to use this methodology after a story of a boy from USA who overcame malignant tumor by shooting it with an imaginary toy machine carbine. Atfirstshetriedthetreatmentherself. Andithelped

Surely, this method sounds magic for most people. It looks like a child recovers even at stage IV cancer. The method works as Riva has a 9-year experience of work and more than five hundred of cured children. Plus some of them were taken off oncology register for good. Though still Ministry of Health and doctors have a negative attitude to such “treatment”. Quite often medical staff does not even let Rivil into oncology dispensary.

– Doctors do not want to see me near children who can still be helped, – the woman sighs. – But afterwards the same doctors call and ask to come to those how are already dying. Ministry of Health considers me to be crazy, though they cannot argue with positive statistics.

We are going together with an amazing woman to Petrovsk near Kiev – to Lena Suhorebraya who suffers from disseminated sclerosis from 1991. Before meeting Rivil she did not get up from her bed for two years. Her mother, Evgeniya Arkadyevna, lost any hope that her daughter will ever walk again. 

– We were in a deadlock. We tried whatever we could: various medicine and folk remedies. I didn’t count how much money was spent for medicine but I can claim that is was a big amount. Surely, I never regret spent money but Lenochka did not respond to any treatment before, – said Evgeniya.

– So how was she treated? 

– Rivil came to our house in December, 26, and came to Petrovsk every day before spring. She made massage, talked to Lenochka,told her fairy tales and stories and they had long conversations. In some time Lena started sitting up and then could stand up and sat in a chair. I didn’t even believe that such things are possible. I met Rivil thanks to “Without Taboo” TV-program where she told about her treatment methodology. Surely, I watched many programs before devoted to Lena’s disease and called TV repeatedly. But Riva was the first one who took my call. And it is the only person who didn’t take money for treatment.

However surprising it may sound, Rivil Kofman helps sick people free of charge.

– I come to those people who already have nothing. No money, no will to fight and no hope that their child will be healthy. I give this will and life changes for the better.

In 2007 Rivil received “Pride of Ukraine” award. It strengthened her confidence that her methodology of fairy tale therapy is efficient. The woman plans to establish Children’s centre with many puppets where kids can come together with their parents. She registered “Strong-willed” international charity fund fighting cancer and disseminated sclerosis for this purpose

– Now I go to children’s homes myself, I regularly visit them or call by phone. I will be able to take much more sick people in the centre. It will accommodate our puppet theatre, youth club, many toys and flowers – Riva dreams.

Currently Kofman’s puppet theater occupies small premises in “Brigantina” children’s sport complex located at the address Dragomirova St. 11. Children and she are admitted free of charge on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 14 till 18. Necessary amount for full oncology centre is not gathered yet, there is not land parcel so far. Rivil Kofman does not have sponsors, all 17 puppets of her puppet theater were made at her expense.

– We want to build a centre where children will feel themselves cozy, where there will be no depression and loneliness as at hospital. It will be great to have such a parcel outside the city, preferably on the river bank. My personal opinion is that environment at our hospitals kills people and sets them for death; there are no bright colors there. A sick person is being buried in such environment far before actual death. In our centre children may relax, distract from city noise, play with beautiful toys, – the woman reflects. – We wrote many letters to authorities. Thereisstillnoanswer. I guess, it might have been lost on secretary tables and failed to reach addressee. 

But Rivil does not lose hopes to make her dreams come true; indeed she has a reliable ally and assistant – a beloved husband Igor. They met long ago but got married only this year. Igor tries to help his wife, sometimes he goes to patients with her. These people are happy together and want to share this happiness with others.  

By the way: In October, 20, a playground for children with oncology diseases was opened on the territory of oncology institute (Lomonosova St. 33).

Please, payattention

Anyone willing to help Rivil Kofman in Children’s centre construction, may transfer funds to the account: JSC "Industrial-export bank" (MFO 300614, USREOU code 14361575) current account in national currency № 26002002489001 

Children’s public organization "”Braha” puppet theater", identification code 34345102

Puppet theater address:

"Druzhby narodiv" metro station,
Podvysotskogo St. 12
а
Tel. 285-27-29
Author: Iuliia LADNOVA
 

Source: http://mycityua.com/life/2007/10/09/090009.html