It is an unbelievable story. Just a few months ago this 13 year-old teenager could not get up from his bed unassisted, let alone run around. It required a special team of five to get him into an ambulance car. Today he is cheerful, lively and talkative. It is not surprising considering he has lost 132lbs in the past few months.
“When Sasha was admitted to a hospital in the fall, his weight was at 440lbs. He would gain 4.5lbs a month. At some point he was unable to stand. He was urgently hospitalized and admitted to the intensive care unit where he was treated. Later he was transferred to a health resort and then to the regional hospice,” says Vera Konovalova, his caregiver.
In the hospice he was prescribed a special weight loss program based on massage and strict diet. At first it was difficult for the doctors to treat him. They had to call a rescue team every time they had to turn him over. Yet, the treatment worked well, and a few weeks later the boy lost 44lbs. As soon is his weight was below the critical mark he was allowed to go home. As of now he weighs 317lbs.
“We’ve been home for two weeks now. It was difficult at first. Sasha was prescribed a diet he’s been sticking to for the past few months. It is mostly vegetarian food with minimum carbs. On Mondays and Fridays he only has cottage cheese, kefir, juice and some fruit and vegetables. These days are especially tough and Sasha is irritable and frustrated. He becomes depressed and just lies on the bed with a blanket over his head. He does understand that I do it for his own good. It is hard to explain things to a sick child. We have our small victory – he lost a pound since we came from the hospital,” Vera explains.
The boy is happy to be at home. He enjoys talking about his cat, visits of his classmates and even shows us physical exercises he is doing. He is now capable of going up and down the stairs. This allows him to travel to his country house where he can play ball with neighborhood boys. He says he never wants to be hospitalized ever again.
“The only thing we need now is a treadmill, but it’s too expensive. We would have to save for over a year. We can’t make him run outside, but he would do it on a treadmill.”
Komsomolskaya Pravda