Ukraine conflict hampers recovery of sick children

DONETSK Ukraine (Reuters) - Maria, a nine-year-old girl suffering from cerebral palsy, was able to stand and walk unsteadily on her own before the outbreak of armed conflict between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.

Now, after five months of shelling in and around her hometown of Yasynuvata, a strategic rail hub that has changed hands several times during the conflict, her condition has deteriorated as stress has stiffened her muscles and crippled her posture. She can no longer stand unsupported.