Andrey was one of the first people I met when I started working at the Rehabilitation Center last September. Although he couldn’t see, he loved to meet new people, write poetry, and tell you how much he loved and trusted in God. He defied expectations by learning how to play card games, frisbee, and help with the dishes. His disability barely slowed him down.
Andrey was always ready to help where he could, and this character trait was evident until the very end. He drowned trying to help someone he thought to be in trouble, but lost his footing and his friends were unable to help him in time. Our Rehabilitation Center will feel his absence. Although I struggled to keep my composure while they lifted his coffin onto the bus for the burial, I know that he can see more clearly now in death than any of us see in life. We will miss you Andrey, and we will not forget you.