members of our family:
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Ivan Kocić was born on 27th April 1974 as the second child of Borinka and Zoran. Although he was born as a healthy child, during the second year of his life he started revealing weakness and real difficulty when he would stand up and walk. The symptoms appeared to be exactly the same as those of his older brother. The instability and impossibility to keep balance aroused dark doubts in his parents. Ivan remembered that as the time went on- he moved his feet even harder. He tried to be as other kids in school and in the neighborhood, but he couldn’t manage it. At the age of three he was diagnosed – Spinal Muscular atrophy 3. When he was in the 8th grade in school his legs conclusively stopped listening to him. Ivan sat in a wheel-chair. Then they realized that the society they lived in did not show the slightest understanding towards disabled people. Although Ivan is very communicative and well-read he never has had the opportunity to be useful in the world he lives in. Even at the high school no one showed understanding. Nobody of the teachers took interest in his condition and his desire to go to school. Everybody asked him “Why you do this?” All that and other reasons and situations led him to make a decision to give up education. Ivan completely devoted himself to the idea to keep his family together. He gathered his close friends who did not pay attention his bodily defect. With his enthusiasm and cheerfulness, he managed to keep going with common efforts of his family and his friends. Today, Ivan is 32 years old. He reads a lot of books and he is interested in psychology and philosophy. As most people who were wronged in that way by nature, Ivan sees his computer as a window to the world. By using internet he has found many friends around the world. In this virtual space Ivan finds information about his disease and learns about the innovations in the field of genetics. He hopes that some day a treatment for his and his brother’s disease will be found. Twelve years ago Ivan got a second hand wheel-chair (type 3.422) of the famous German firm MEYRA. Although the wheel-chair was used it was good enough for his needs. By the way, after such a long exploitation the wheel-chair was almost broken. In view of the facts that MEYRA is a complex firm, its spare parts can be bought only from the factory in Germany. This type of wheel is not produced anymore. The new improved model that can satisfy Ivan` s needs is offered by Belgrade firm ORSIM and costs 6.500€. Besides, for Ivan and his family it is a problem to make ends meet. They try to live only with money from the father’s pension and from social help. This income hardly covers everyday needs. They must think how to handle other expenses. Ivan asks people of good will to give their material or financial help to him and his family. All kinds of donations are welcome.
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Boyan Kocić was born on 23.04.1971. He was born as a healthy child. But during the second year of his life he started to reveal difficulty with his legs. Too busy, his parents had not paid attention on this. When he was three years old he was diagnosed Spinal Muscular atrophy (SMA3). When he was the second grade in school he totally lost his possibility to walk. His work and efforts were awarded with graduating. By the way, the society Boyan and his brother live in; does not have understanding towards invalids. Nobody in the town and around it gave Boyan the opportunity to be useful in any job. Just like most the people in wheel-chair, Boyan is also closed between the four walls with her family. He didn’t have any choice in his life, because his parents are ill too (his father suffered a cerebral stroke and mother has nerves weakness). Boyan lives along with his brother and his parents, trying not to disturb any member of his family. It’s not clear in his family who helps whom and who is responsible for whom. They all are trying to help each other. Since 1997, when they got computer, Boyan started getting to know a new world. Although he is self-educated, he learned to work with computer very well, with the help of his friends who explained to him the right operations. He kept his cheerfulness and optimism with the help of his family and friends. He has met people all over the world, thanks to internet. Internet is the only way for Boyan to visit distant parts of the world and meet other people. With his cheerfulness he gathered his closed friends, which is the big support for him. Just like his brother, Boyan got second hand wheel-chair (type 3.422) of MEYRA. Although the wheel-chair was used it was good enough for his needs. After such a long exploitation the wheel-chair is almost broken. As their income hardly covers everyday needs, Boyan and Ivan work together with the help of the formula “feet & rope”. The new improved model costs 6.500€, and they can’t buy second hand of these wheel-chairs, because they are produced only in German. The other types of the wheel-chairs are not good for needs of Boyan and Ivan, because they have no the quality of MEYRA. Boyan asks good people to help him and his family survive. They decided to this request, because they can’t see understanding in the society they live in.
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Zoran Kocić was born on 22nd June 1948 in Niska Banya in the ordinary for 20th century in Serbia working-class family. His mother was a housewife and his father – a post office clerk. Zoran had never had the possibility to devote his time to science and books. In the combination of circumstances he had to dedicate some profession. Immediately after his graduation, Zoran went to serve his time as a soldier and after his discharging he become to work like a turner. Zoran met and got married his wife Borinka in 1969. When their first child was born, Borinka and Zoran were full of happiness. Unfortunately, when Boyan was one year old they notice that their boy has a problem his lower extremities. He couldn’t walk or stand because of weakness in his legs and spinal column. When from the age of three doctors diagnosed Spinal Muscular atrophy (SMA) the sun goes down on his family. The troubles are showering on Zoran and Borinka when the neighbors and relatives become to asked “How you incur God’s wrath? Whose sins you pay?” All that broke Zoran`s health. But he never gave up despairing even the smashing blows of faith. He keeps fighting for his wife and his son. Zoran and Borinka mustered courage to have a second child. In 1974 Ivan was born. But bad luck rained down of them when they understood that Ivan has the same disease like his brother Zoran likes animals; he loves the life and his family. The blow of faith overtake him, he didn’t takes in like torture or redemption. He takes in his family like normal and wholeness. He said: “We are what we are - keep going”. Zoran suffer that he hadn’t possibility to learn zoology and working like stock-farmer. His honest and good heart becomes friend very easy with people and animals. He is always ready to smile and to give courage with his goodness. The people who know him are wonder how can he – unhealthy to forgive on these who are “healthy” and do him harm. Zoran just smiling simple-hearted and saying that he can’t do nothing. He likes people and doesn’t makes difference in race and class. And if it depends on him, he will remove the concept “nation” and will leave the concept “person”. The cerebral stroke he suffered, leaved him serious consequences. He can’t move his left leg, and his left hand is seriously weakened. The blood pressure can bounce to the top and makes him afraid of other celebral stroke, but as Zoran says “life goes on”. With superhuman efforts he try’s to helping his children, which are in the wheel-chairs and can’t service them self. His wife Borinka suffers from depression and mental disorder, because of that he often must take care for her too. He says is not hard for him to care about his family, because he loves them. He sorry for not having better financial conditions to give his boys better life. Because of that he requests all good people to help him. He is not searching alms, no begs, he is the man in trouble and he needs help. He doesn’t need financial means for luxury; he needs only means for existence. Zoran gives half of his pension for drugs, and the other half for daily wants. Zoran decided to this step because he can’t see other possibility. In the center of social help he can’t receive more of minimum pension. In the municipal organization of the Red Cross saying that have no means. And life goes on. It sweeps everything away and nobody waits. Who can swim, will survive, who can’t – will be drown. Because of that, Zoran and his family appeals good people to give them hand and not allow them to drown.
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Borinka Kocić was born in Svrliski Izvor village, on 26.08.1950 in labor family. As her father had worked in railway transport they had to move often. She met her husband when she was 19 and they got married. As a young woman from a descent family she is really glad of the fact she creates her own home. Her husband Zoran was already working as a turner. Borinka had never looked for a job and been employed. All her life she is habituated in a patriarchal morale according to which the woman should be good housewife and mother. She hoping and dreaming to have healthy children who can some day become doctors and give help too other people. When in 1971 Boyan was born Borinka keep dreaming about her son’s happy future and who knows what have happened if destiny wasn’t played this wicked game with them. Her firstborn son began to suffer from a leg weakness. The time was getting on but Boyan`s condition didn’t get better even he walked harder. When she understood that her son had this strange untreatable disease, she became desperate. All her dreams were broken. When the doctors found her second son have the same disease she went through total shock. The doctors told her that both of her boys would spend their lives in a wheel-chair and would need the help of other person. She was weighed down with grief and that brought to depression and mental disorder in 1986. Since then she permanently uses medicines which make her unable to take good care of herself and her family. Borinka is really open-hearted and hospitable woman. When she feels good her smile shines on her face and warms everybody in her home. She loves flowers and loves to grow them. Borinka is always happy to share the little they have with guests. Although the hard condition she lives in, she isn’t forget about the existence of happiness and smile. Her husband and boys become more cheerful and calm when they see her smiling. She hopes there are good people who would like to help her family and regrets that both ,she and her husband are also sick and unable to give more their children. She appeals to all people with good will to help her family with their donations. Unfortunately, Borinka on a 8. march 2007. at 13:50 hours has passed away caused by a sudden heart stop while she was at hospital treatment
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