“We’ll watch how diligently the cute boy crooks his arms and legs.” Sergei Belogolovtsev told how his son with cerebral palsy was not taken to the movies

Interview to the magazine "Life with Cerebral Palsy" No. 2, 2010

Sergey Belogolovtsev:« You just have to live!»

Actor and TV presenter Sergei Belogolovtsev is known from the popular program « OSP studio » , series about seven b e Zvezdunov « 33 square A tny meters » And « Country stories » . Looking into Sergei’s lively and smiling eyes, it’s hard to believe that he and his family had to go through a big test - their son’s illness.

- Tell me, Sergey, did you encounter problems with cerebral palsy before Zhenya’s birth, did you know what it was?
- I grew up in a small town in Obninsk, Kaluga region. The boyhood years flew by quickly, leaving many vivid impressions in my memory. One of them is memories of a local resident who had cerebral palsy. He was very different from those around him and scared me terribly. After the birth of my youngest son, Zhenya, I realized: people marked by this disease are much kinder, more talented and deeper than some of us.

Do you consider yourself to be a group of fanatical parents, or did you follow the doctors’ recommendations in a moderately reasonable manner: what you could do, you could do, what will happen will happen?
- My wife, Natasha, fanatically fought for her son, having tried everything: there were endless visits to doctors, searching for new and effective methods of treatment and means of rehabilitation. I helped her as much as I could. Every year my son and his wife went to the sea for the whole summer; they had to earn money. True, now I’m trying to compensate for what I didn’t give to Zhenya at the time. I try to be his friend, partner in all his endeavors and creative endeavors.

- Have the relationships in your family changed with the advent of Zhenya?
- After the birth of our son, we often asked ourselves a selfish question: “Why our child, why do we need this, what have we done and how unfair is it?” We couldn’t come to terms with the idea that our sweet and dear baby was not like other children; there were breakdowns, tears, and a damaged nervous system. But the common misfortune only united our family and strengthened it.

- What role do you assign to medicine in the treatment and rehabilitation of your son (main, auxiliary, none)?
- Complex issue. Domestic medicine lags far behind the world and European ones. Perhaps this is due to the fact that in Soviet times disabled people were hidden away from the eyes of the average person. Hundreds of young boys and girls in tracksuits, walking harmoniously along Red Square at the parade of athletes, personified the healthy Soviet nation. And there were no disabled people. Work with this category of the population was reduced to the payment of pensions, benefits and compensation; there was almost no money left for the development of new methods of treatment and rehabilitation.

- What do you think helped the most? Any method, doctor, center, sports or all together?
- Every parent whose child has cerebral palsy knows about children's psychoneurological hospital No. 18, which helps fight this serious illness. So they helped our Zhenya. In addition, for many years the son studied with a professional psychologist, they developed a trusting relationship, and these sessions have not stopped to this day. As for sports, he loves to swim, especially with fins, although his first steps in mastering the water element were very difficult. The son fought back and cried in every possible way, but now he simply cannot be pulled out of the water. Probably everything together helped.
Recently, while going through the recordings, we watched videotapes of our son going to first grade. We looked and understood: Zhenya has completely changed, his eyes look correctly (before they looked anywhere up, to the side, just not in front of him), not very quickly, but he walks independently without outside support.

- How is the relationship between your two eldest sons and Zhenya?
- The older children, Nikita and Zhenya’s twin Sasha, are kind to their brother, stand by him like a mountain and, so to speak, have contributed to the process of raising their brother. After the guys were left alone with him several times, my wife and I noticed that Zhenya made his bed and dressed himself without outside help. The boys responded to our questioning looks: “Yes, he is quite independent!” That's it, no differences, Zhenya can do everything on his own. Although if someone looks at him with a mocking or condescending look or, God forbid, offends him... I don’t envy him.

- Have you encountered cruelty from children or adults because your child has health limitations?
- We had problems with our son’s teachers and mentors who did not want to take him into account. But we always tried to immediately extinguish the conflict. But I don’t remember anyone deliberately pushing, hitting or calling my son names. After all, our Zhenya is so bright, sometimes it seems that he moves to some kind of parallel reality, periodically stays there, lives and simply does not perceive something offensive and unpleasant. He loves everyone, and everyone loves him too. That's how we raised him.

Do you think that children with visible disabilities should study in a regular school along with those who do not have such disabilities? Is the risk a child is exposed to when he finds himself in a group where he may not be accepted justified?
- Yes, I would even confirm this by federal law. Children who can somehow walk, move around, and find contact with their peers should attend a general school. This will produce positive results for everyone. Children with disabilities will be able to adapt to future life faster and painlessly, and their peers will learn delicacy, the ability to subtly feel the difficulties of others, and will see: yes, this boy or girl is different, but so nice and responsive.

- What things would you do as the father of a child with cerebral palsy if you were in a position of power?
- Firstly, I would oblige every television channel to have a program dedicated to the problems of cerebral palsy. It must involve two presenters. One of them is a wheelchair user or has difficulty walking, the other is an ordinary person. And so they meet live, communicate with each other, discuss some issues, joke.
Second: all educational institutions, no matter public or private, must accept such children with cerebral palsy.
Third: children should be socially protected from birth, receive decent pensions and scholarships.
Fourth - compulsory employment. People with disabilities should not be left alone with their grief, disability and problems.
And fifth - all structures and buildings must be equipped with special handrails, lifts and other various devices.

- What does Zhenya want to become?
“He completely unexpectedly opened up to us from a creative side, amazed us with his special gift of figurative speech, and this despite his not very good diction. It all started at school, where my son studied in a theater studio, did performances and solo performances there, and even won a camera in a reading competition. Zhenya speaks and recites beautifully. I would really like him to become an actor, for example, a voice actor. He can do this.

- What would you like to wish to parents who are just at the beginning of their journey?
- I wish you great patience, never give up and hold on. Much has changed now compared to what it was decades ago. Don’t isolate yourself, communicate with each other, love our difficult children and just live.

What works will you please your fans and fans of, what does your enormous acting and humorous talent translate into? Cinema, stage?
- I am involved in four performances in the theater, where I play with pleasure. I periodically act in films, played in the film “Roof” directed by Boris Grachevsky, and will continue to act in an interesting musical series directed by Leonid Mazor “Two Antons”. As for television... Lately we have not really begun to understand each other. In general, I dream of making a film about the life of people with cerebral palsy, I dream that my twins will play in it, I have sketched out the outline of the plot, but have not yet come up with a complete idea.
In short, there are a lot of plans. As it turned out, life does not end when you leave TV, but only becomes more varied and interesting.

Interview with M. Sitkina and T. Sorokina

Famous TV presenter and showman Sergei Belogolovtsev shared a story about his disabled son, which happened not so long ago. Starhit talks about this. Evgeniy, Sergei’s youngest son, has been sick with cerebral palsy since birth. Despite his illness, Evgeniy leads a fairly active lifestyle: he plays sports, participates in social events, and at one time hosted the “Miscellaneous News” program on the “Raz TV” channel. Evgeniy graduated from a school for gifted children and the Institute of Theater Arts, Advertising and Show Business.

Instagram

Sergei Belogolovtsev said that his son was recently invited to act in a movie, but then they refused, preferring a healthy actor. It was this story that Belogolovtsev Sr. spoke about in his blog.

One lady director appears and says that in her new film the main character has cerebral palsy. And she wants to try Zhenya. Our eyes rolled pleadingly. I push her a cookie and ask why people with disabilities receive such reverent attention. I have a duty to them, he says, and a special relationship with them. Hurray, we think we’ll find a job for our stump at least for a while. We find out later that the cripple in the film will be played by a healthy, probably tall and handsome actor. We are passing the garden again,” Sergei wrote.

cosmo.ru

At the same time, according to Belogolovtsev, such situations are not uncommon in domestic cinema.

Dear filmmakers, colleagues! Please film what you are really good at - “House of Caramels”, 248 episodes. Or something military-patriotic, or sports-historical goes well with you. Don’t meddle in our topic with your sticky hands, otherwise we’ll then watch how diligently a cute boy will crook his arms and drag his legs, we’ll look and think: are you mocking us, making fun of us, or are you just cynical?

syl.ru

Sergei Belogolovtsev himself is actively involved in helping children with cerebral palsy. Three years ago, together with his wife Natalya, they created the non-profit organization “Dream Skis”, which introduces disabled children to skiing.

• Sergei Belogolovtsev is a popular Russian TV presenter and showman. Known to viewers as the host of the TV programs “O.S.P. - studio”, “Despite the records”, “White against White” and others. Starred in several feature films. Football fan and promoter of this sport, federal ambassador of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
• Sergei Belogolovtsev has three children: Nikita, Alexander and Evgeniy. All of them are related to television. The eldest - Nikita Belogolovtsev, sports producer and political commentator for the Dozhd TV channel, was nominated for the TEFI award.

Childhood and family of Sergei Belogolovtsev

While studying at school, our today's hero was fond of football and basketball. His favorite football team was Moscow Spartak, and he himself played for the basketball team of the Scientific Research Institute of Physics and Chemistry. It was here, by the way, that Sergei Belogolovtsev was planning to enroll after school. However, his father, who worked here as a physics teacher, did not appreciate such an idea. As a result, Sergei had to choose another university for himself. This is how the future showman ended up at the Moscow Mining Institute.

While studying at this university, Sergei first began to get involved in theatrical art. He took an active part in the activities of the local amateur group, played in plays, wrote lyrics, and at one point even managed to become the leader of the local ensemble “Fluger”.

Career of Sergei Belogolovtsev in KVN

In the capital of Russia, Sergei Belogolovtsev again took up the implementation of a variety of creative plans. This time, the actor’s main dream was to have his own KVN team. At first, this project stalled due to lack of funding. However, very soon Sergei’s ideas began to take on real shape. Thus, the KVN team “Magma” was formed.

Belogolovtsev blows up the framework of the “Let Them Talk” program

From the first days of its existence, the newly formed team became the main discovery of the Major League season. The team performed brilliantly, and therefore Sergei Belogolovtsev very soon became a real star. The audience loved him, his jokes were always received with a bang. However, there was still one disappointment in the KVN fate of our today’s hero - Sergei never became the champion of the Major League.

Sergey Belogolovtsev - TV presenter

As a result, thanks to the efforts of the actor, the program was a great success. The audience really liked the charismatic presenter, and therefore very soon Sergei began to be invited to other projects. Thus, in the late nineties, such projects as “OSB Studio”, “Dacha Stories”, as well as the comedy series “33 Square Meters” appeared on Russian television. The last of these projects has become especially popular.

Sergei Belogolovtsev: “Today it will be more difficult to joke”

Sergei Belogolovtsev became a real celebrity, and therefore subsequently he often participated in various television programs as a host or guest star. Over the years, he had a hand in creating such programs as “Save, Repair!” (STS), “Scheme of Laughter” (REN-TV), “Mysteries of Show Business” (TNT), “Circus with the Stars” (Russia Channel One), “Soldiers. And officers" (Ren TV), as well as some others. Most of his programs were entertaining in nature, but there were also occasional exceptions to the general rule. A striking example of this is the Header (Russia-2) program, entirely dedicated to football.

Sergei Belogolovtsev in cinema

Sergey Belogolovtsev today

Personal life Sergei Belogolovtsev

Currently, the couple has three sons. The two eldest of them, Nikita and Alexander, work on television. TV presenter Nikita Belogolovtsev even has a TEFI award to his credit. In addition to three sons, our today's hero also has a granddaughter, Eva Nikitichna. Thus, Sergei has been a grandfather for several years now.

Belogolovtsev Nikita Sergeevich, the son of a famous father, did not shy away from his parent’s stellar name, but he himself achieved that today he is known and invited to the most interesting projects. Who is this? Let's get to know the son of a famous personality better.

TV presenter career

Nikita Belogolovtsev is an experienced presenter, despite his young age. He began his television career at the age of 20. Then Nikita broadcast the program “Conversation without Rules” on the O2TV channel.

Just a year later, a new television project “Only at Night” was released with the participation of a rising broadcast star.

Nikita Sergeevich Belogolovtsev always called sports topics his favorite area of ​​journalism. At the beginning of his creative career, he treated it exclusively as a hobby and sincerely tried not to mix it with work. However, fate does not always follow our plans and Nikita Belogolovtsev, whose biography was previously associated only with various talk shows, was graced by participation in the “Headbutt” program aired on the Rossiya-2 channel.

And a year after leaving the program, together with his star father, Nikita Sergeevich Belogolovtsev went on the air of the “White vs. Bely” program, which was also of a sports nature. In the same year, the young man became co-host of the “Sports” section on the “Rain” channel. Optimistic Channel".

Of course, it was not without criticism. Where would we be without this in the media business? Nikita Sergeevich Belogolovtsev was accused of preparing custom programs and conducting them with obvious distortion of facts. The greatest storm of negativity hit the program dedicated to the assassination of the President of the United States of America Kennedy, aired on the Dozhd TV channel. Surprisingly, criticism fell specifically on the presenter, despite the fact that the program focused on the official version of the crime and further investigation.

What happened before?

Nikita Sergeevich Belogolovtsev was born into the family of a famous artist and TV presenter. After graduating from school, he entered MGIMO. After graduating from the Faculty of International Journalism, he followed in his father’s footsteps.

In addition to Nikita, the family raised two more sons. As in the fairy tale about three brothers, the children were raised to be very friendly.

Family Challenge

The Belogolovtsev family is truly amazing. It’s not just acting talent and parents’ connections that lead to success. Unity, mutual support, raising children in a spirit of respect. All this created a reliable springboard for achieving our goals.

The twin brothers were born at seven months old. Long months of rehabilitation helped the children to emerge, but Nikita’s younger brother, Evgeniy, was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Who knows, maybe it was this test that brought the family together. There is no doubt that it was her support that helped Evgeniy also conquer the television studio. The RazTV channel invited him to host one of the columns in the “DIFFERENT NEWS” program.

The entire Belogolovtsev family actively promotes a healthy lifestyle and instills a love of sports. They actively promote the “Dream Skis” rehabilitation program for children with cerebral palsy, Down syndrome and autism. Parents believe that through ski lessons with competent coaches and specialized equipment, children make significant improvements.

Personal life of Nikita Belogolovtsev

Nikita Sergeevich Belogolovtsev married his classmate. Even during their student years, young people spent a lot of time together, especially in the institute team of the Cheerful and Resourceful Club (KVN).

Lyudmila Ivanova and Nikita Belogolovtsev, whose family began its history immediately after graduating from MGIMO in 2010, are already experienced parents today. After a year of marriage, the young people had a daughter, who received the name Eva.

Four more years later, in 2015, Lyudmila gave her husband another 3890 grams of happiness. This time a son, an heir, named Timothy by the couple.

Daughter Eva is now engaged in choreography and attends various master classes. In all her endeavors she feels the presence and support of her parents.

Awards

TV presenter Nikita Sergeevich Belogolovtsev became a nominee for the All-Russian National Television Award TEFI in the category “Best Sports Journalist” in 2012.

In social networks

What celebrity today does not have a page on social networks? Belogolovtsev Nikita Sergeevich is no exception. It is quite widely represented on the Internet, its official pages are on Vkontakte, Facebook, Twitter and even Instagram. Information about the TV presenter can be found in all kinds of ratings.

Not just television

TV presenter Nikita Sergeevich Belogolovtsev is not fixated on only one area of ​​self-realization.

In addition to his media career, he also realizes himself as a sports producer.

Also at one time, Nikita Belogolovtsev headed the editorial board of the educational resource “Mel”. According to the management, their main target audience is the parents of students, and not the schoolchildren and future students themselves.

At the beginning of the journey, there were only six employees on the editorial board of the resource. The main investor and financial partner of Mel is the head of Nova Capital, one of the directors of Delovaya Rossiya, Alexander Rudik. Nikita Sergeevich believes that the main profit of the team will be realized not so much from the sale of the publication itself, but from the related services that they will offer.

Belogolovtsev also tried himself in the journalistic field as the author of articles for the publications “Around the World” and “Geo”. He was a broadcast presenter at the Mayak radio station.

Hobbies in free time

Belogolovtsev's eldest son includes traveling among his hobbies. He considers Italy and all its provinces to be his favorite region. Loves traveling around Europe and around the world. Most often he relaxes with his family by the sea.

Values ​​time spent with children. Joint participation in “Fun Starts”, culinary master classes, DIY crafts. All this, undoubtedly, brings parents and children closer together, which is what Nikita Sergeevich does. Today you can find many photographs of Nikita posing with her daughter.

His undoubted advantage as a father is that he instills in his daughter his love of sports. Previously, he himself also actively played football, but after an injury he replaced his favorite form of leisure with basketball, which he had also valued since childhood.

Today Belogolovtsev Nikita is not only the bearer of a star name, but also a full member of the world of showbiz. Today his presence is in demand on many projects. Therefore, Belogolovtsev can justifiably be called a stellar personality.

Many people consider these babies to be children of God. They are completely dependent and defenseless in front of this cruel world. Raising them will be a lot of work, which requires enormous spiritual strength. In our selection, we talk about families who have come to terms with their fate, overstepped the evil intentions of society, rose above prejudice and are confident that their children are the same people as everyone else, only with a different set of chromosomes.

Son of Evelina Bledans and Alexander Semin

On April 1, 2012, Evelina Bledans gave birth to her second son, Semyon. After giving birth, the actress admitted that she knew about the illness of her unborn baby, but despite this, she and her husband, director and producer Alexander Semin wished for the baby to be born.

The doctors asked him to think about it, hinting at an abortion, but Alexander confidently declared that he didn’t want to hear about it.

“We will give birth anyway. Even if you now say that the child has begun to grow wings, nails, a beak and that he is generally a dragon, that means there will be a dragon. Leave us alone. We will give birth."

The birth process took place together with her husband, who tried his best to encourage Evelina. The child was born with an extra chromosome, as well as with two fingers on the left leg fused together. However, the parents in the delivery room were crying not from grief, but from happiness. And they already love him. And love, as you know, is not a test for the weak.

People today are intimidated by prejudices about down children. According to statistics, 85 percent are simply afraid of the additional difficulties of raising a child who is different from everyone else.

And only 15 percent of moms and dads, endowed with the gift of love, hope and faith, take the child, and perform their parental feat every day. Evelina and Alexander deserve great respect and admiration, because they not only accepted their son as God sent him to them, but also constantly prove to people that such children are also happiness.

Most mothers who were at a crossroads are grateful to Evelina and Alexander for an open conversation on a secretly taboo topic, so painful for parents of sunny children.

Daughter of Lolita Milyavskaya

Lolita Milyavskaya did not give up on her daughter Eva when doctors told the singer that her child was born defective. According to the artist, doctors first said that the girl had Down syndrome, but later changed the diagnosis to autism - an innate psychological isolation. Lolita does not miss the opportunity to praise her daughter in every interview. But at the same time, he does not hide the fact that the child has health problems. Until the age of four, Eva could not speak, and she also had poor eyesight.

In many interviews, Lolita said that her daughter was born at six months old; the singer was then 35 years old. The baby weighed less than one and a half kilograms, and she was nursed for a long time in a pressure chamber.

It’s not for nothing that they say that mother’s love works wonders. Now 16-year-old Eva goes to school and practically keeps up with her healthy peers. And her famous mother always supports other mothers raising children with genetic differences.

Daughter of Fyodor and Svetlana Bondarchuk

In 2001, Fyodor Bondarchuk’s wife gave birth to a girl. The baby was born prematurely, and doctors fought for her life for a long time, after which the girl began to have developmental problems. Varya is a “sunny child”, which is usually what children born with Down syndrome are called. They live in their own special world and smile much more often than their healthy peers. In the Bondarchuk family, the word “illness” is not uttered - the spouses simply call Varya special.

The illness of Varvara’s youngest daughter not only did not destroy, but, on the contrary, strengthened the union of Fedor and Svetlana. As a rule, in such a situation, the husband and wife stop communicating very quickly, but, fortunately, this did not happen to them.

Varya mostly lives abroad, where she can get the treatment she needs and a decent education. Svetlana notes that Russia, unfortunately, is not suitable for such “special” children as her daughter.

“Fantastic, funny and much loved child! She instantly wins over all people. It is simply impossible not to love her. She is very bright. Varya, unfortunately, spends a lot of time outside of Russia; It’s easier for her to study there and easier for her to undergo rehabilitation. Why did I talk about this at the time of the adoption of the “Dima Yakovlev Law”? Because I know about this problem firsthand. Fortunately, we have the opportunity to send her to study and treatment,” Bondarchuk said in an interview with the magazine.

The woman is incredibly grateful to her husband Fyodor for the support he provides to her and her daughter. According to Svetlana, the birth of Varvara only brought their couple together.

There is no place for despondency or sadness in Bondarchuk’s life; the woman approaches all problems philosophically: “Yes, we have a child with certain problems, but something terrible can happen to anyone at any moment... No one is immune. Living in suffering and despondency is wrong.”

Daughter of Irina Khakamada

Irina Khakamada, a talented business coach, designer, former politician and head of the interregional social solidarity fund “Our Choice,” which she created in 2006 for disabled people of all ages, having become inspired by this topic after the birth of her daughter Maria in 1997, who was diagnosed with Down syndrome.

Irina is not only a strong-willed woman whose fortitude would be the envy of many male leaders, but also an amazing mother. At the age of 42, she decided to have a child. Not only was the baby born special, but a terrible illness overtook her.

In 2004, just when Irina was running for president of the Russian Federation, no one could have thought that she was going through a terrible family tragedy. Doctors diagnosed Mashenka with leukemia. The girl underwent chemotherapy. Fortunately, she overcame this illness. A few years later, Irina decided to show her daughter to people and came with her to the premiere of the blockbuster “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.” This appearance in the world was not easy even for the strong-willed Khakamada. Everyone saw that her daughter suffers from Down syndrome - and they were imbued with deep respect for this courageous and strong woman.

In an interview, Irina says that Masha loves to dance. She has artistic thinking, but exact sciences are difficult for the girl. And everything that concerns the figurative vision of the world, drawing, dancing, singing, she succeeds.

Son of Konstantin Meladze

Producer Konstantin Meladze divorced his wife Yana in 2013 after 19 years of marriage, the couple had three children together - Alisa, Leah and Valery. Konstantin did not immediately learn that his son suffered from a rare disease - autism. It’s not easy to get used to this diagnosis, because it’s impossible to fight it. For a long time this information was hidden from the press. However, the mother of the boy Valera said that her son suffers from autism in the first interview after her divorce from Meladze.

“Doctors diagnosed Valera with autism. Treatment of this disease in all countries of the world is very expensive, including Ukraine. No, this is not a sentence, this is an execution, after which you were left to live. This is a serious disease that has no cure yet. It is being adjusted. I'm talking about severe autism. Such children can be taught. I think that parents who are faced with a similar problem are familiar with the feeling of fear, helplessness in the face of grief, and shame. Our society does not accept or recognize “others.” But when the child has his first successes, hope and faith awaken - and then a new starting point for genuine victories and bright pride in his child begins. And parents don’t need to be ashamed or blame themselves. Don't think that you might have done something wrong. When you understand what responsible mission you are performing in your child’s life, you will realize the value or even pricelessness of your role. And most importantly: autistic disorder must be diagnosed in the first year of a child’s life! The fatal mistake of doctors and parents is to wait up to three years. Children who begin correct correction before they are one year old show amazing results. And in the end, they are not much different from their peers.”

Valera is a completely normal child in appearance. His parents realized he was sick when he was three years old. He looks great, but lives in his own world. He hardly communicates with people, he has no need for it. The child looks like an enchanted boy who looks exactly the same as us.

Son of Anna Netrebko

In 2008, the famous Russian opera diva Anna Netrebko gave birth to her first child, whom she named Thiago. When the boy was three years old, he was diagnosed with autism. This news was like a bolt from the blue for his famous mother.

“I used to explain his silence by the fact that in our house they speak four languages, and it is difficult for the baby to adapt to this. He spoke only when he needed something. We raised the alarm only after noticing that the son did not react when spoken to. Then everything became clear,” she said.

According to the celebrity, in all other respects the child seemed absolutely normal. “Thiago is very neat and self-sufficient,” says the singer. Despite everything, the star does not lose heart and believes that the boy will overcome this terrible disease!

“He is, of course, a computer genius. I don’t have a computer, and I don’t know how to use it. And he already knows how to count and recognize numbers up to 1000 at the age of three. He really loves the zoo, watching penguins swim underwater,” the star mom says proudly.

Now her seven-year-old son is studying at an integrated school in New York. This educational institution is visited not only by sick, but also by completely healthy children. Doctors reassured the opera diva - her child has only a mild form of autism, and if the boy is treated in a special way, deviations in his development will be practically invisible, which means that he will be able to study and communicate normally with other children.

“I'm not afraid to say that my son is autistic. “Alas, many mothers face this problem, and I want them to see from Thiago’s example that this illness is not a death sentence.”

Son of Sergei Belogolovtsev

The children of Sergei Belogolovtsev not only brought many happy moments to the artist and his wife, but also became a real test for both of them. When their eldest son Nikita was not yet a year old, Sergei Belogolovtsev’s wife Natalya Barannik became pregnant again.

Sergei's wife had a very difficult time with her second pregnancy, and her birth occurred prematurely - Sergei Belogolovtsev's two youngest children were born at seven months old.

But the problem was not only this, the fact is that one of the children was born very weak - doctors diagnosed him with four heart defects at once. The boys were named Sasha and Evgeny. When little Zhenya was nine months old and could be operated on, the parents hoped until the very end for a good outcome from the operation, which was successful, but difficulties began later.

The child’s heart was working very weakly, and Zhenya went into a coma and lay there for two whole months. During this period, he experienced clinical death, due to which the baby developed cerebral palsy.

The eldest of the twins, Sasha, developed normally, but the younger, Zhenya, was far behind - he learned to talk only at the age of six. The child was on the verge of death until he was eight years old, and all this time his parents did not leave him around the clock, replacing each other.

After several years of terrible torment, they began to have hope and joy - the treatment of their sick son began to bring results. Today, the children of Sergei Belogolovtsev, and especially Evgeniy, are a great pride for their parents. He successfully graduated from a school for gifted children and entered the Institute of Theater Arts, Advertising and Show Business. Nikita graduated from the Faculty of International Journalism at MGIMO, works as a presenter on the Rossiya 2 and TV Center TV channels, and is a sports producer and political commentator on the Dozhd TV channel. Alexander Belogolovtsev is a MGIMO student, presenter of the Karusel TV channel, executive producer of the MB-Group television company.

And last year Zhenya became a TV presenter, despite a serious illness. The proud father shared this news on his social network page on March 17, 2014: “Zhenya Belogolovtsev recorded pilot broadcasts as the host of a section in the “DIFFERENT NEWS” program on the wonderful RazTV channel.”

“A week ago, my parents told me that I could become a TV presenter,” says 25-year-old Belogolovtsev Jr. “We dream that I would work in my specialty, because after graduating from the theater institute, I am probably the first professional actor diagnosed with cerebral palsy.” I want guys like me to believe in themselves.”

Grandson of Boris Yeltsin

A child suffering from Down syndrome is also growing up in the family of the first president of the Russian Federation, Boris Yeltsin. The boy was born in 1995 in the second marriage of his daughter Tatyana Yumasheva. The family hid the illness of the boy, who was named Gleb, for a long time. Even in family photographs it was impossible to see his face.

However, the day came when Tatyana broke the silence and told the whole truth on her microblog. The woman informed the press that Gleb was studying at a specialized school. Tutors come to his home. The boy loves swimming and chess.

“He remembers hundreds of classical pieces of music from memory - Bach, Mozart, Beethoven... The chess coach is amazed at how extraordinary he thinks. Glebushka also swims amazingly in all styles, writes Tatyana. - It is believed that Down syndrome is a disease. But, in my opinion, children with Down syndrome are simply different. They are concerned about what we easily pass by without noticing.”

Tatyana Yumasheva, general director of the Boris Yeltsin Foundation, in 2006 financed the creation of some educational methods for children with diabetes. And he is proud of his son, who is said to resemble Harry Potter in many ways.

Son of actress Iya Savvina

Iya Savvina’s only heir, son Sergei, was once awarded a personal exhibition. And this was an incredible achievement for him. After all, the boy was born with the terrible diagnosis of Down syndrome, which in our country sounds like a death sentence.

Nevertheless, his unusual, talented paintings destroyed the stereotypes of perception of people suffering from Down syndrome. Despite his serious illness, Sergei received a good education at home: he studied English, plays the piano excellently, and knows poetry and painting well. And he picked up a brush and paints as an adult.

Savvina learned about the diagnosis of her long-awaited son while still in the maternity hospital. She was offered to place the sick child in a special boarding school. But she categorically refused. Savvina accepted her boy, who was unlike others, as he was given to her from above. I studied with him, developed his abilities in every possible way, and hired teachers. What takes other children months to master, he took years to master. But the results later surprised prominent doctors. And those of them who once assured her of the uselessness of such activities admitted their mistake.

Iya managed to care for her son, act in films and theater, creating unforgettable images of selfless women.

Today Sergei Shestakov is 56. Although he, in fact, remains a big child, nevertheless, he amazes everyone with his numerous talents. Plays the piano and recites poetry. Well, he draws, of course. But he still can’t understand that his beloved mother will never look at him with pride and love: actress Iya Savvina passed away on August 27, 2011...

Sylvester Stallone's son

The statistics in the West are relentless: autism affects one in 88 children, Down syndrome affects every 700. Many star families faced developmental disorders in the example of their own children, but did not give up and, moreover, made a huge contribution to the research of these difficult diseases.

Sergio, Sylvester Stallone's youngest son, was diagnosed with autism at the age of three. For the actor, this news was a real blow.

Little Sergio had difficulty adapting to the world around him: he could not establish contact even with his loved ones, not to mention the rest of those around him. The bitter irony is that as a child, Stallone himself was almost classified as autistic, but he turned out to be healthy. Sergio did not cause serious concern - and turned out to be ill.

In the first moments, he and Sasha were depressed, devastated and confused. But then the understanding returned that action is always better than inaction, and the parents - in the best traditions of Rocky - decided to fight.

“I understood that Sly would not be able to pay enough attention to this because of his work. And then I told him: provide me with the means, and I will take care of everything,” says Sasha Zak.

And so it happened: Stallone worked with such dedication as never before, and his wife devoted herself to fighting for her son. With Stallone's money, Sasha achieved the creation and opening of a research fund on autism.

However, very soon life made it clear that the seemingly ideal combination of talent, experience and desire to work does not always guarantee a successful result.

During the filming of the fourth "Rocky" the actor suffered a heart attack. He was taken straight from the set to the hospital, where he spent several weeks.

Stallone’s grueling, literally exhausting work and the no less difficult struggle waged by Sasha Zak took the spouses into different worlds. The ten-year marriage, which had already experienced one breakup, had exhausted itself: Sylvester and Sasha talked about everything and signed divorce papers.

Sergio Stallone is now 35 years old. He is not a public person, does not maintain contact with journalists, does not attend social events, but lives calmly and quietly. His father helps him with medical care and visits him regularly. After Sylvester’s eldest son, Sage, died of a heart attack in 2012, the actor treats Sergio even more reverently.

“Yes, the son is always in his own world,” says Stallone, “and never leaves it. I have enough money, but for so many years now I have not been able to help him with anything. Nevertheless, the thought of abandoning my son never even occurred to me - even in my youth, when I was so busy with my career.”

Jenny McCarthy's son

In September 1999, Jenny married actor and director John Asher. In May 2002, she gave birth to her son, Evan. Everything seemed to be going great in her life. And suddenly, in August 2005, McCarthy and Usher divorced. The press gossiped about the mutual infidelities of the spouses, that Jenny preferred to share a bed with women.

It turned out that her little son suffers from autism. John did not have the patience or strength to raise a sick child. Doctors said there were no effective treatments for autism, but Jenny refused to believe them.

The cheerful, bright blonde never hid her son Evan's diagnosis. Jenny did not panic or despair, preferring to remain optimistic even in such a difficult time for her.

Having learned about her son’s diagnosis, the star, gathering all her will into a fist, began to fight her child’s terrible illness. McCarthy gave all her energy and time to Evan. And mother's love won! The boy's condition began to improve.

“Evan couldn't speak, wasn't able to make eye contact, was antisocial. And now he's making friends! It was amazing to see how certain types of therapy were successful for some children but failed completely for others.”

McCarthy works with Evan a lot, and thanks to this, he attends a regular comprehensive school. In order to help other parents of children diagnosed with autism, she founded the charity Generation Rescue. In addition, the actress published the book Louder Than Words, in which she talked about how she managed to cure her son.

Dan Marino's son

American football player Dan Marino and his wife opened a center for children with autism spectrum disorders at a Miami hospital.

Their son Michael was diagnosed at age two. Like other parents, Dan and his wife took the boy to the doctor after noticing abnormalities and developmental delays. Michael is now 27 years old. Thanks to successful intensive therapy at an early age, the young man now lives an almost full life.

Toni Braxton's son

In October 2006, American singer Toni Braxton burst into tears at a concert at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas, telling from the stage that her youngest son Diesel had autism, and also stating that if the diagnosis had been made earlier, the boy could have provide much more help.

“Early diagnosis makes a life-changing difference... As a mother, I knew something was wrong with my baby even when he was about 9 months old. By the time he was a year and a half old, I said, “He's not developing like his big brother,” Tony recalls.

Currently, the artist actively funds research in the field of autism and is a representative of the organization Autism Speaks. And we can only be happy for 12-year-old Diesel: the boy was included in the general education system, and now he goes to school with ordinary children.

There are battles that can neither be won nor finished; you have to fight constantly, day after day. They exhaust everyone equally: both an ordinary person and a Hollywood star. But even in these global battles, small but very important victories occur.

Olga Bekhtolt