Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of Chechnya said that an extended stay there cured a Siberian girl of a rare sleeping disorder. Kadyrov was moved by the plight of Sasha Pisarenko, a nine-year-old who doctors said suffered from the only case of narcolepsy in Russia. At his insistence, Pisarenko was brought to the Chechen capital Grozny where she lived for six months with her mother and sister in a luxury apartment."Grozny was charming, not menacing at all," according to a statement on a government website, adding that the strongman had phoned the girl directly after his own mother learned about Pisarenko from a TV show.
Helping Pisarenko is the latest display from the Kadyrov to prove that normalcy has returned to Chechnya.
"One of the important reasons behind her recovery has been the surrounding atmosphere -- sun, smiles, music and hospitality," read the statement, saying she was also sent to Switzerland for medical checks.
Kadyrov will soon visit Pisarenko in her hometown of Chita, some 3,000 miles east of Chechnya, the site said on Monday, showing a photo of the barrel-chested leader hugging Pisarenko in a headscarf.
"During her stay, Sasha suffered only one sleeping attack and her migraines stopped," it added, referring her treatment in Chechnya.