A parent’s biggest nightmare is having to deal with the many obstacles of parenting in regard to their child’s safety, happiness, health, and success. We all want things to be easy for our kids, but with how the world works, things aren’t always all sunshine and roses.
For a pair of parents in Russia, they were devastated when they learned that their daughter, Sofya Zakharova, would be banned from attending their village’s nursery school. Why? Because of a physical disability she was born with. Although little Sofya has fused fingers and toes along with a deformity of her skull, anyone who knows her knows that she’s a very happy, intelligent, and sweet girl. However, the nursery managers believed that Sofya’s condition would “scare other kids,” despite her being an otherwise great candidate for their pre-k program. The only way she’d be admitted into the program is if she received cosmetic surgery.
Although Russia has anti-discrimination laws, they are newly developing. Therefore, the likelihood of Sofya’s parents successfully getting legal action to resolve the discrimination against their daughter’s physical disability was very slim.
To make matters more frustrating, the parents would not be able to fund their daughter’s expensive cosmetic procedure. The parents wanted nothing more than their daughter to live a fulfilled life, but living paycheck to paycheck in an apartment with no water or gas, there would be no money left over to help the young girl get the surgery she “needed” to get into preschool.
Fortunately, there was a light at the end of the tunnel. A local charity, Rainbow Goodness, decided to come after the nursery school, threatening a lawsuit, but nothing changed; the managers stood their ground. Others also tried to get the organization to change its policy but with no luck.
But Rainbow Goodness didn’t give up.
The non-profit helped the family move into a new apartment with heating and water. Additionally, the government approved Sofya for a cosmetic surgery that would be taking place in Moscow.
Although there was certainly good that has came out of this story with good people coming forward to help, it’s a shame that Sofya had to encounter discrimination from full-grown adults for something she couldn’t help. While it might be a plausible reason to deny Sofya’s entry if they were concerned she would be bullied, it didn’t seem like that was the primary worry of the preschool’s managers.
Children should feel comfortable in their own skin without worrying about being denied an educational experience due to their physical appearance.
Hear more about the viral story below. What are your thoughts on Sofya being banned from nursery school?
