Baby look at you now (From Stroud News and Journal)

Baby look at you now

WHAT a difference a year makes. Stroud News & Journal readers will remember little baby Anya Albakova who featured in our appeal at the end of the year 2000.

Anya who has Downs Syndrome lives in Russia and was brought to our attention by Stroud headteacher Pauline Battison from Parliament School.

Pauline who has built up strong educational links with Russia over the years was horrified to learn that the authorities had tried to take baby Anya from her mother Larisa after she was born.

Around 94 per cent of babies with Downs Syndrome are placed in state orphanages in Russia and half don't live to see their first birthday.

Larisa needed £500 to fund the 500 mile round trip visits from her home in Desnogorsk to Moscow where a residential support service would give her the help and advice she needed to keep her child.

We asked you to dig deep and help the family who were living on an average wage of £10 a week.

And as usual when we launch these appeals, the people of the Five Valleys did not let us down.

Money poured into our offices in Lansdown. Pensioners stretched their budgets to spare a few coins, children donated their pocket money and everyone else just gave what they could afford.

In less than week we had exceeded the target and had collected a staggering £600.

Mum Larisa was so moved by the generosity of SNJ readers she admitted she "cried and cried" when the money arrived.

"You have given her a future," she wrote in a moving open letter to SNJ readers in November 2000.

And just look at Anya now. She is an adorable 18-month-old toddler making fantastic progress thanks to your help.

"She is walking and babbling away and she is so happy and responsive," said Pauline who was sent this picture by mum Larisa.

"Anya has been to Moscow three times and is due to go again in March. She is really making remarkable progress," said Pauline.

So to everyone who donated to the Anya appeal, just take a look at the happy, smiling little girl in this picture and give yourselves a pat on the back.