Fighting character

Tatyana Ivanovna laughs contagiously, trying to say something, but comes out inaudible: the syllables are confused, the sounds are lost. Tatyana Ivanovna is 85 years old, and she has been lying in the Maximilian hospital in St. Petersburg for almost a year after a stroke

“We have a smart girl: sociable, friendly, always smiles, in a good mood,” the nurse who went into the ward praises Tatyana Ivanovna. “Active, willingly engage in rehabilitation, participates in events.”

It is difficult to believe that we are talking about a lying patient: after a stroke, Tatyana Ivanovna is paralyzed by half of her body, and she can not do without outside help. The elderly often even in an easier state reduced motivation for rehabilitation, and this grandmother, as they say, are fighting.

This is noticeable immediately: a fragile little elderly woman, when she, for example, is planted in bed, is in no hurry to lie back quickly. Tatyana Ivanovna talks with difficulty, but at the same time it may sing “Farewell, beloved city! We leave tomorrow at sea. " Of course, “singing” and “talking” are conditional concepts: after a stroke, she clearly pronounces “yes” and “no”, says some words, but it is still difficult to make out her speech. However, she loves to communicate, so the conversation is built mainly on confirming certain information about her life that social workers managed to find out.

Tatyana Ivanovna photo: Svetlana Bulatova for TD

Tatyana Ivanovna was born in Leningrad, after school she entered the Institute for the Law Faculty. Then where she did not work, including in the police. Was married. As she managed to understand from her words, her husband was a naval officer and a handsome man. After the question of whether she fell in love with him at first sight, her grandmother laughs. And then adds: “Yes.”

In her speech, the words "Mariinsky", "Pushkin", "Gorky" are guessed. This is the Mariinsky, Alexandrinsky Theaters and the BDT in St. Petersburg: Tatyana Ivanovna loved the theater very much, saw George Tovstonogova, knows who Valery Fokin is. The last time in Mariinka she was a few years ago. She “tells” all this for a long time, repeating improper -icable words and not annoyed to the misunderstanding of the interlocutors. But by the end of communication, her answers to questions are already impossible to analyze.

“She's tired,” her neighbor in the ward explains her, dry old woman with gray short hair.

Tatyana Ivanovna on a bed in the House of Maximilian Hospital Photo: Svetlana Bulatova for TD

Before the illness, Tatyana Ivanovna lived alone, a district social worker periodically came to her - he brought medicines and foods. After the stroke, the doctors were afraid to send a lonely old woman home. So she got to the Maximilian hospital, where it has been living for almost a year.

There are a lot of such grandmothers as Tatyana Ivanovna and her neighbor in the ward. In fact, this is the only hospital in St. Petersburg, where in departments of palliative assistance and nursing departments there are lying lonely old people and those elderly who, for various reasons, cannot help relatives. The hospital becomes their home for an indefinite time. Not only the house, but also the medical institution: here the old people help recover from serious injuries and diseases. Someone, like Tatyana Ivanovna, practically does not speak and does not move, someone tries to return to life after a heavy accident with multiple fractures. The Maximilian hospital is helped by the charity foundation "For a long time and happily."

Moral support for them is no less important. “In addition to physical weakness, a huge emotional shock occurs with an elderly person: what did he come to, how did he live his life? - explains Galina Zabolotskaya, a specialist in social work of the Maximilian hospital. - This is an excessive awareness. At such a minute, one cannot but reach out a helping hand. ”

Tatyana Ivanovna in Maximilian Hospital Photo: Svetlana Bulatova for TD

During our conversation, Tatyana Ivanovna manages to clearly pronounce only one phrase: "God gave absolutely everything." Judging by the optimism of Tatyana Ivanovna, she lived a happy life. For a long time and happily about her. Although it was unlikely that the life of a person born in the Soviet Union in 1933 could be easy. But now we will never be able to find out her story. How many husbands did she have, children? Who were her parents? How did she survive the blockade? What did she love and what was fond of except the theater? After all, she probably went to the theater with someone? Maybe she loved to dance? Or varnished read love novels? There was no one left who would remember her who could take care of her.

Her fate cares only employees of the Maximilian hospital. In our power to help them in this difficult matter. Old people should have adequately spend their last years, regardless of whether they have close relatives. Please donate 100, 200 or 500 rubles to the Fund "Long Endo". Thanks to this help, Tatyana Ivanovna, perhaps, will not speak as before, but at least will not stop laughing.