My Story

Vitaly Shilo


My name is Vitaly Shilo , I am a twenty-aged Russian boy living in the North Kazakhstan, a part of the former Soviet Union ,close to Siberia.

          Although I am young , I have very big problems with my health . The main causes of this are constantly degrading economical situation and very bad medical politics in our country, hard ecological bequest - we live not far from the notorious Semipalatinsk nuclear poligone, and many other places of ecological catastrophes,the main of which are "Mayak" atomic station, Aral Sea, and also very bad ecology in our city - it is the famous place of coal-mining, and we live in endless smoke during all year, non-attention and non-experience of local doctors ,and ,finally, a number of accidents personally with me.

When I was born, I got the
birth-trauma of my brain due to bad attention 
of local doctors. I have a lot of records 
from that time in my old medical card. The 
causes of life were always very complicated 
for my family. My father who left us 
when I was seven, was an officer of Russian 
rocket army, and my family rambled through 
all the former Soviet Union ,on very far 
places - deserts, mountains, where Soviet 
rockets was placing, constantly waiting for
a new order of re-dislocation. So, although
I had got the diagnosis "hydrocephalious 
syndrome and hypertensious syndrome " in age 
of 1.5, I never had not only good, but even 
any medical attention. ( Also, I was recorded 
under a neuropathologist's observation then, 
but due to social politics and also false 
promises of local doctors about healing 
without any curing, my family lost many 
priceless time...but it's impossible to 
imagine not living in such a country -every 
try of seeing a doctor finished by turning 
out.In better case, they wrote me very simple
cures.)  So, since my early childhood,
I suffered of very strong headaches. Another
(but also important) medical problems I had 
then were my very weak immunity for 
any infection, psychological weakness
(a very tender child), and strong allergy for
fur and hair -even my own hair when 
hair-dressing. Genetic factor may have 
place ,as my mother had thyroid gland 
resection in age of 19 ( I was born when 22),
her aunt had bronchial asthma and diabetes,
my grandmother and grandfather from mother's
side both died of cancer. (My grandfather 
was working on oil fabric for all his 
life). As for my father ( I have only few 
information here) his family was more healthy. 

I was born not far from the place 
where I'm living, and, when I was seven and my 
father left us, me and my mother returned here.
I was a clever child, but problems with my 
health added with every new year. But doctors 
still ignored us. Maybe, a new stage of my 
life began in 1988. During 1988-1990, I had 
many nervous shocks due to our cruel school 
and pupils. Since already then my health was 
very weak, I never could beat anyone who could 
beat me. And every my success in studying 
became a reason for new ll course of 
thyreotoxicos healing - levothyroxine, 
mercasolil, beta-blocators, also had 
antidiuretics, and common therapy.

I was at a neuropathologist's there, and
he wrote the medical conclusion basing in this
tomogramme there. I had nuclear thyroid
scanning there. It all was very hard, but
unfortunately since that time I have not
any possibility for healing. I still managed
to get something in 1995-96, but now 
nobody here can help me. 

   Life of my family is very hard. My
mother is a simple clerk on a post-office.
Fortunately, she has still job, but in the
present I live with my hopes for somebody's
help and charity and I am very obliged for
any people who could help me.

Respectfully, Vitaly Shilo



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