Elsabe Louw of the Lora Foundation contacted me after having read this blog's entry on Dzhurkovo. The words in black font below are from Elsabe's email, and the words in blue are an extract from the blog's Mission Diary on Dzhurkovo. To the best of my knowledge, Rositsa (also known as Rosa) remains without medical treatment at Dzhurkovo, although I last met her in June 2006, and have not been able to corroborate details on Rositsa's current condition.

I am posting this information, and the photographs below, in the hope that medical professionals might offer Rositsa assessment and appropriate treatment. Please send me an email (click on my name at the top of each blog posting and then click 'Send an Email') if you are able to help:

 

"Rositsa, one of the young women from Dobromirtsi, has a large facial tumour, which disfigures and discolours the whole of her face, coupled with dark pigmentation on her hands and neck. Staff members did not know her diagnosis or what treatment, if any, had been prescribed. Under Article 12 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), Bulgaria must progressively realize the best attainable standard of physical and mental health. Rositsa’s diagnosed mental disability and the fact of her institutionalization does not remove this obligation from Bulgaria’s state authorities. It is a worrying possibility that the reason why staff members knew nothing of Rositsa’s treatment may have been because she was receiving no treatment. This would be consistent with the failure to provide expert physiotherapy, special education and pain relief for Dzhurkovo’s residents."

 

She was admitted to Dobromirtsi during 1999.  Nobody wanted to touch her because of her facial disfigurement.  So she was placed with the "aggressive children"  She shared a room with a very aggressive girl who bit her in the face, hit her, etc.   I attach pictures of Rositsa - when she was in the Mother and Child Home,  when she was admitted to Dobromirtsi (these pictures are on her medical file) and pictures of her stay in Dobromirtsi.  She never received any treatment.  We took a Bulgarian doctor to the home to see her...   He asked for a cat scan of her facial tissue.  The director agreed, but never did this.   We gave some antibiotics for the infection in her eyes, but it was not used.   The Bulgarian doctor made a comment about her that is so true  -   she has a gentle spirit.

 

Dr. Louise Wilkinson from Dundee, Scotland has visited Dobromirtsi on more than one occassion.  She was concerned about Rositsa.   Following is from her report.

• CASE C- This is a case taken from the older teenage section of the orphanage. This girl when I visited was found outside sitting amongst bees and broken glass in a cage. She was stigmatised due to facial disfigurement and was in severe pain. She did not speak and was not seen as an important human being. On occasions she is locked away from visitors so no-one is aware she is there. On return to Britain I asked the opinion of one of my colleagues, a consultant plastic surgeon in Ninewells hospital and he said from the pictures taken in looked like a complex malformation of blood vessels which has lead to an increase in growth of her facial tissues. He said that it may have been possible to debulk this tissue but this would require an MRI scan to see how close the major blood vessels were to the superficial tissues. This still remains to be carried out and this girl’s situation can only worsen in the future.

Both doctors were of the opinion that Rositsa could and should have been helped when she was small.  They do not think that this is a facial tumour. There is still a small chance for her to receive help.   Is it possible to help her -  will a public awareness of her situation help?

 

Thank you for reading this.

Elsabe Louw

www.lorafoundation.co.za

 

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These photographs show Rositsa during her childhood. She is now in her early twenties, and had received no medical treatment when I met her in June 2006. Her skin tone is now much darker, and one eye is completely closed. Rositsa cannot speak. These photographs were given to Elsabe Louw by the then Director of Dobromirtsi, some years ago, with express permission that they be used in an attempt to raise awareness of Rositsa's condition, and to secure medical help for her.