In the yellowed photo is a very beautiful couple of newlyweds. 1961 Then the whole life was ahead! Well, today a couple of old men look at this photo. He does not see anything, does not hear and, it seems, does not even understand. She is constantly moaning after a stroke. These old people no longer recognize those young people in love. They are bedridden and cannot even talk to each other! Only a mother can call for help in a weak voice. And there is no one to call them. In addition to the only son of Zurab.
Zurab is 56 years old. He barely walks – suffered a heart attack. His parents for life have become the closest people who always came to the rescue. Now it is he – the sick man himself – their only hope, and his own home has turned into a dark hospital ward.
They do not survive alone. But the state has already abandoned them. And only indifferent people can help.
“10 years ago, my father, Tola Gagua, suffered a ischemic stroke. After a couple of years, the stroke recurred and completely paralyzed him. Now he is 84 years old, he cannot talk, move around, has lost his hearing, has become absolutely non-contact, ”says Zurab. All this time my mother and I took care of him, but a year ago a new misfortune came to our house. My mother suddenly became ill, lost consciousness and “grabbed” a brain stroke. Now she is also bedridden, the right side of her body is completely paralyzed, her hearing has survived, but her tongue has almost disappeared. If dad can’t even make a sound, mom constantly groans and cries. ”
These three sick people are in extreme distress. A parental pension is the only “income” that covers only a portion of the right medicines and basic food. The question arises – why do they not have the status of a socially unprotected family? He is, but only the Social Security Agency refuses to pay cash benefits.
“They came from the Agency several times, checked something, measured something. They saw a refrigerator, a gas stove, furniture, and were “delighted” by refusing to pay benefits. My God, after all, all this is old junk. The refrigerator was released in 1972, and the gas stove was generally “antediluvian.” All this was acquired by my parents a long time ago, because there were times when our family lived safely, ”says Zurab Gagua.
Zurab’s parents, Tola and Gogol, were married in 1961. It was a wonderful family: the father was a master at an aviation factory, the mother was a teacher in high school. The state provided them first with a room in a communal flat, and then a three-room apartment. Their son graduated from the economics department of the University of Tbilisi, began to work, lived happily and in prosperity.
Then it was impossible even to imagine that in old age these people would find themselves in a depressing situation, and their life would resemble a desperate struggle for existence.
“I have a duty to my old parents, I have to look after them,” says Zurab. Sometimes I have the most terrible heartaches, but I suffer. So what to do? Father will dress, sit down in a chair, he stares at one point and is silent. The mother has seizures several times a day – she is pounding and shaking, she groans, rushes about, you have to sit next to, rub her legs, cramped in the legs. I’ll go eat, so after 5 minutes shouts “Zurab, son, help me, I feel bad …”.
-Tell me, does anyone help you?
Zurab: neighbors help as far as possible, someone will give 1 GEL, someone will give 5 GEL, and someone will bring a bowl of soup. Your Foundation is a great help for us. Your nurse’s visit is a real “salvation” for me. She helps me to bathe my parents, gives them injections, brings diapers.
-And you do it, of course, yes?
Zurab: yes, of course. And who else? There is no washing machine, so I wash my hands in cold water. Yesterday I hung linen and heart pains in the yard. I couldn’t even stand, crouched and prayed to God: “Lord, do not lead me to that world while my parents are alive. Have mercy on us and save … “.
Are you a believer?
Zurab: our whole family is a believer. I adhere to the commandment of God: “Honor your parents.” We come to this world completely helpless, and parents take care of us, spending sleepless nights at the crib. Over the years, the roles change, and our turn comes to take care of them.
-What are you dreaming about, Zurab?
Zurab: all my dreams revolve around mom and dad. I dream that I have health and that I have the strength to care for them. I appreciate every second spent with my parents. Of course, it is painful to look at our family helplessness, but God will give even a little to improve our existence. But in any case, I know that after parting in this sinful earth, loving parents and children will surely meet in Heaven!
Friends, here is another story that we cannot but take to heart, because the duty of every person is not to leave the needy in distress. Let us not skimp on kindness, open our hearts and by joint efforts make it easier for these people to have the heaviest existence. Most of all at this stage these people need