“I don’t need a disabled child”. A girl born with a leg defect was abandoned in the maternity hospital by her mother. What happened to her later? The girl turned out to be brave enough to grow up and become a world-famous champion.
When a 17-year-old girl from Irkutsk made the difficult decision to give up her newborn daughter because of her leg defect, she inadvertently blazed a remarkable trail.
Such stories are rare, but little Tanya was one of the lucky ones. Despite her congenital disease, she became a famous swimmer in the USA and won many medals at the Paralympic Games.
Oleg and Natalia were teenagers themselves when they learned of the impending birth of a child. Oleg was sixteen, Natalia was only seventeen. They were faced with the threatening reality of meeting a premature baby born without legs, ankles and heels.
With no experience caring for a disabled person and facing resistance from Natalia’s mother, they reluctantly decided to give up their daughters.
Despite advice from all sides, the young mother brought little Tanya to the orphanage, deciding to take her back as soon as they became financially stable.
However, an American couple, Stephen and Elizabeth Long, adopted the girl, named her Jessica and surrounded her with love, devotion and affection. Despite the amputation of her legs up to the knees, Jessica developed under their care and quickly adapted to life in a new American family.
She became interested in sports and excelled in swimming along with her brothers and sisters.
Once her talents were noticed, her parents enrolled her in sports programs where she trained alongside children without disabilities. A few years later, Jessica won a place on the Paralympic team and made her debut at the 2004 Athens Games.
Her remarkable achievement of winning three gold medals attracted worldwide attention. At the following Paralympic Games in London, she further cemented her status as a swimming star.
Jessica soon returned to Russia, where she was offered help in finding her biological parents.
Meeting Oleg and Natalia, who were still together and raising their family, was a touching reunion. Even though they were unaware of Jessica’s achievements, they rejoiced in her success.