EFIA Students Organizing Charity Tag Sale in Tarrytown

One morning in late February Maria Motorina, a Russian student in EF International Academy, received news from her hometown. Her family’s close friends have discovered that their one-and-a-half-year-old son, Demyan, has leukemia; his only chance for survival is a bone marrow transplant. The doctors say the disease is 93% curable, but the operation has to be done in Europe. Demyan himself is from Zelenogorsk, a small town in central Siberia.

The surgery costs would be $219,000. Meanwhile, Demyan's family makes less than $12,000 a year. In order to cover medical expenses, the family has started fundraising. 

Demyan’s parents asked Maria for any possible assistance, and she reached out to her classmates at EFIA. Together, they formed a group called “Help Demyan” that is currently spreading the information about the child, managing the collection of donations and organizing fundraisers. They have raised about $2,000 in three weeks and do not plan to stop.

In the midst of their activities, the students learned that Demyan suddenly had a heart attack. Maria spent an afternoon crying on the stairs. Fortunately, the boy recovered – but the “Help Demyan” group realized they had very little time. Their final deadline is the end of April.

While still planning a charity lottery and promoting donations in EFIA, the students have decided to reach out to the Tarrytown community. Assisted by the Reformed Church of the Tarrytowns, they are organizing a charity tag sale, where they will sell items donated by students and teachers, serve international food and sing. All money earned will go toward covering the operation costs.

Tag Sale information:

When – Saturday, April 13, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Where – the Reformed Church of the Tarrytowns, 42 N Broadway Tarrytown, NY 10591

Who can come – everyone is welcome! Please join.

Additionally, “Help Demyan” will be organizing a concert in Coffee Labs Roasters on April 20th (Maria herself is a superb singer). While EFIA students are certainly not the only ones helping Demyan – his family has already managed to get about 2/3 of the required sum – their contribution will certainly matter. The tag sale, their biggest fundraiser, is expected to be entertaining as well as useful. More details will be available next week prior to the event.

Further links:

Video about Demyan – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GydhB6IAhPg

Maria’s Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/motmasha

Contact information:

Maria’s cell phone number: 914-334-0938

Maria’s email: m.motorina.helpdemyan@gmail.com