Grodno Guy Born with Cerebral Palsy Overcomes Many Difficulties to Become a Medical College Lecturer

In childhood, Kiryl was diagnosed with cerebral palsy — spastic diplegia, and his health loss once corresponded to the fourth degree. However, thanks to many years of rehabilitation, he managed to move to the second group of disability.

When Kiryl was five years old, his family moved from the Shchuchyn district to Grodno so he could receive more effective treatment. He attended a regular kindergarten, and then school No. 18. His parents drove their son to school and picked him up.

Павялічыць

A great role in Kiryl's rehabilitation was played by his mother, Alla Kuksa. She is a preschool education teacher by profession and worked as an educator. It was into her group that little Kiryl once went. His mother used all the pedagogical and rehabilitation methods known to her: she developed fine and gross motor skills, took her son to the swimming pool and sauna, engaged in physical exercises with him, hippotherapy, and massage.

Weekends and summers, the boy spent in the village under the motto "Air, sun, and water are our best friends." In parallel, he regularly traveled to the Brest rehabilitation center "Tonus."

Павялічыць

Around the age of ten, Kiryl began to understand that he was different from other children. This period was difficult for him and his mother. Psychologist Katsiaryna Vasheyka provided important help to them. According to Alla Kuksa, she helped them accept the situation, develop what was possible, and not focus solely on the diagnosis. Cooperation with the psychologist continues to this day.

For 11 years, Kiryl underwent rehabilitation at "Tonus" twice a year. During this time, he became increasingly interested in medicine. The boy wanted to help his relatives, searched for cures for serious diseases, and at the same time hoped to find a way to heal himself. He often asked doctors what could be done in his case, especially surgeons. Kiryl dreamed of learning to walk independently. Daily exercises and perseverance allowed him to give up walkers and switch to a cane.

Павялічыць

After the ninth grade, Kiryl entered the legal class of Lyceum No. 1 in Grodno. He planned to get a profession in the future that would match his abilities. However, acquaintances often asked him why he wasn't studying in a medical class if he knew so much about medicine. These words stuck with him.

Vocational guidance counseling helped Kiryl finally decide to connect his life with medicine. Not everyone in his environment believed he would succeed, but his mother supported her son and believed that the right people and specialists would come his way.

Павялічыць

When Kiryl was 11 years old, his sister Palina was born into the family. As his parents had to take care of a small child, Kiryl's rehabilitation gradually became more independent. He trained with a coach, went to the pool, had massages, rode horses, and worked with a psychologist.

At 12, coach Yury Safonov began working with him. Since then, Kiryl has not missed a single training session, which took place twice a week. Now he trains in a regular gym with Dzmitry Pisarau, who has become an example, pillar, and support for him.

Since he was 18, Kiryl has received a scholarship and a disability pension. He manages his own funds: pays for training, buys clothes and groceries, and pays for utilities. He independently bought a tricycle and loves to ride it. He travels to work and the gym by public transport, confidently using his cane.

Павялічыць

Admission to the Grodno Medical College was his first serious challenge. Theoretically, Kiryl knew the material well, but due to spasticity, it was difficult for him to perform practical medical manipulations. At one point, he even wanted to drop out. However, the support of Professor Henadz Marmysh helped him overcome this crisis and continue his studies.

After medical college, Kiryl entered the Grodno Medical University. He didn't become a first-year student on his first attempt, but this failure did not stop him. In the same year, he still enrolled in the "Nursing" specialty.

At the university, Kiryl was perceived as a capable, ambitious, and responsible student. Throughout his six years of study at college and university, he did not miss a single class. He was particularly interested in writing prescriptions, so pharmacology became one of his favorite subjects.

Павялічыць

Not all disciplines came equally easy. Kiryl studied pharmacology and surgery without particular problems thanks to his good memory. But histology was harder: due to vision problems, it was difficult for him to examine small structures. Despite this, he read a lot and strove to understand every detail. Kiryl also calls himself a perfectionist and tried to get no less than 9 points for his work.

When stressful situations arose, a certain algorithm helped him: first, clearly identify what he was feeling, then breathe deeply, and, if necessary, drink water.

By assignment, the young specialist ended up at the Grodno Medical College — precisely where his path in medicine once began. Given his health condition, he was entrusted with teaching the theoretical part. Now he works alongside the lecturers who once taught him.

Today, Kiryl teaches continuing education courses for practicing nurses. He teaches general surgery, anatomy, physiology, and anesthesiology. Following an old university tradition, he gave his first salary to his mother.

Besides medicine, Kiryl has many other hobbies. He loves to sing and dance, go to the pool, and ride horses. Thanks to his good memory, he knows a large number of songs. He particularly enjoys spending time with his father: Kiryl sings, and his father plays the guitar.

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