Cerebral palsy, amputation, multiple sclerosis and a wheelchair – no reason to stay home. So says the extreme Dmitry Kondrashin and 8 people, which in the late summer on two SUVs drove to the Dyatlov pass. Prior to that, Dmitry went to the southern Urals, the Caucasus and Kazakhstan. He is not afraid of the word “disabled” and believes that people with special health problems often need to leave the house.
Dmitry Kondrashin. Photo: Dmitry Kondrashin / Vk
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To escape from civilization prostheses
We love to engage in harsh Hiking to get to those places where it is not always possible to reach the feet, says 36-year-old lawyer Dmitry Kondrashin, in his spare time, the author and project leader “Vadama”. The essence of the project is that people with special health and without them gather together, sit in the SUV and go as far as you can imagine. For example, on the Dyatlov pass. Dmitry amputated both his legs at age 12, he “foolishly” fell under the train, so for him trafficmedia is not just a love for big machines and roads, but also a necessary need.
To fulfill a dream – to see the Dyatlov pass, Kondrashin and the company held 7 days, drove 1800 miles on the roads and another 160 in the taiga.
Although the place oblige, nothing mystical happened. On the contrary, the group has been lucky with the weather, with cars, they are certainly broke, but not on the most difficult sections of the road and the three Northern rivers, which need to be overcome through some swamps and solid mountainous rocks into the last 30 kilometers before the pass. But the main difficulty of the route was just the fact that he is very far from civilization. If the car had a breakdown, had to rely only on their strength to know how and what to repair in advance by thinking about the parts or turn sharpness.
Otherwise the most that you can expect to meet tourists and together with them to tell you what parts you need. Maybe someone followed a group of bring it, – says Dmitry.
The project “Vadoma” started as a travel blog of family Kondrashina. First, a daunting expeditions, was fond of Dmitri. Among his entourage, of course, was not without skeptics. Even his wife Irina were against it.
– Skepticism was not connected with the fact that, well, where you climb, the disabled, and the fact that the car is new, why break it. Then she wife decided to try to go with me, was involved, and now the whole family supports me. We specifically designed for expeditions and the car was purchased, you do not mind, is “UAZ”.
The first time Dmitri and Irina went far in the district and in the Samara region. Then there was the trip to Almaty, Jambul is a three and a half thousand kilometers from Syzran, the border of Kazakhstan and China. For the first time really far off-road journey Kondrashin made last year, when I went to the southern Urals. Then they decided that times are with disabilities and can get so far, then why not offer others in the car also still has a place.
Now, before each expedition, and the Dyatlov pass she was fourth in a row, Dmitri throws cry on social networks – looking for like-minded people from all over the country: from his native Syzran to Perm and Novosibirsk. People ask the team for a variety of reasons: one is simply boring to sit at home, they are going to change the situation, others go to check yourself, something to prove, and someone just always wanted to see the Urals or the Caucasus, and who knows whether he’ll have a chance next time.
Tired body, but the soul can rest
The Dyatlov pass this time went 9 people, four of them disabilities: cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, amputation. Those who are healthy, as volunteers provided assistance to another part of the team at home and on the move.
– And such that have needed emergency medical care, thank God, was not yet. If so, it would be a miscalculation on our part, – says Dmitry.
He is convinced that the expedition can go with any diagnosis. If the person is willing and ready, the team thinks together, how to organize it. All travel, accommodation, Parking is planned, given how mobile people are, how they can care for themselves or need assistance. It’s one thing when a person has mobility issues, no trouble to help him: to migrate, to plant or drop of the machine. Another thing, when the person requires special care or hygiene, for example, if he is paralyzed. Although it is not a reason to refuse travel. On an expedition to the southern Urals went a man in a wheelchair: I could, survived and had a great time outside the house.
In this sense, Dmitry and the team runs the risk of not more travelers today are without health features. People with disabilities usually versed on the medical part and better than any paramedic in the ambulance know what problems may occur and what preparations need to take them off. However, does not deny Kondrashin and the fact that each type of disability brings about restrictions for traveling.
– My wife’s multiple sclerosis. It is a disease of the nervous system when nerve endings are destroyed. It manifests itself in different ways: dizziness, weakness, blindness, paralysis of the limbs. It naturally need help, sometimes need to be borne, she can’t lift heavy, can not long feel at times.
With his wife. Photo: Dmitry Kondrashin / Vk
I have a feature with dentures: I also can’t wear heavy, can’t be in the same position every evening to observe hygiene for the feet, otherwise just get back on them the next morning. People with disabilities in each movement put more strength, General fatigue increases.
Alexey is a member of the expedition with cerebral palsy
In the evening, when healthy is already a burden, something to submit, mug to bring, and so the guys… Sometimes one wish: show me a corner where you can sleep.
To eat at even strength remains, just to drive to the Parking lot, and still have to break camp, make a fire, cook food. Elementary even wash dishes people with disabilities is difficult because you have to go down to the ravine, to reach the Creek.
But it is in these journeys, for me, the soul and the head rest from the hustle and bustle from everyday life. There’s nothing there – no people, no entertainment, but at the same time there is nothing and is not necessary. Nice to just sit around the campfire and look at these landscapes, – says Dmitry.
It is necessary to change people’s attitudes to disability, and not the words
Before the expedition project “Vadoma” opened a collection on the Planet.ru. Asked for money not much – 50 thousand rubles. Dmitry, I confess, did not expect that such amount will be collected but the people responded, for which travelers are very grateful.
Off-road expedition cost by themselves. To begin, it is necessary to have at least a car, and not simple, but prepared. This means that from the very beginning have to spend a lot of money on rework. Moreover, the operation of the machine involves constant spending. Where go extreme, breaks down everything – even “UAZ”, though, a range Rover. You need to be able to repair, have tools, spare parts – all this costs money. Plus fuel, clothing, speciminder like tents or sleeping bags.
– We take your money, happily and take people to the load. Their first question: how much it will cost. We usually answer that at all. But this time I decided to open the collection because it is very high mileage cars. The amount that we collected, 50 thousand, is the only fuel that the car there and back went. Provisions, the inventory is about the same. We formed a team.
Its expensive difficult job Dmitry loves with all his heart – that he has a hobby, and to sit at home bored. While moving, you live, and do not need to avoid difficulties, including physical. If you systematically ignore all the problems and difficulties over time, even a spoon will not lift, said Dmitry.
Dmitry
– If a person has a desire to live, he will live forever. But if no such desire, it does not make. The disabled just need to go to their company seen. If the society they will notice, you will know that there is a group of people that sometimes it is necessary to remember. In the meantime, the disabled are sitting at home, we will encounter such a situation: the man parks the car in the handicapped spot, it fit, saying that he was wrong, to which he replied: “Where do you see disabled people?”
Accustomed to society that disabled people there, so it is possible and in turn not to miss, and ramps to do.
In one Syzran about 20 thousand people with disabilities live, and a lot of wheelchairs. When these figures are voiced, people don’t believe. But the fact that people with disabilities just sit at home. Go more outside, then maybe the next time the neighbors will think that they have a disabled person lives, and he had to leave this place. If the disabled person sits at home, so he doesn’t need anything.
– Dmitry, you are so freely and frequently use the word “disabled.” Now, it is believed that this is incorrect. It does not bother you, and doesn’t hurt?
– We must call a spade a spade. The disabled person has a disability. Now invented the “with disabilities”. But then again someone also insults – and why the ability restrictions? It is necessary to change people’s attitudes to disability, and not to the words. Until it would be shameful, and words are shameful. And when you stop on the streets children with the fingers on the disabled show – see the Holy fool was lucky – then the word will cease to be perceived negatively.