It is frightful to think of how many lonely old people there are today and that nobody cares. After all, their children love their own kids more than parents and do not understand that the parents are their children as well, only old and sick! Nobody cares about them!
So our 71-year-old Mariam Nonikashvili is bedridden. She suffers from chronic joint disease and inflammation of blood vessels, her knees are completely paralyzed; she is constantly choking from lack of air and because of systematic malnutrition and metabolic disorders, her whole body is terribly swollen.
This poor woman is completely alone, and she lost the opportunity to serve herself 5 years ago. Once a week a good neighbor comes around: she brings water, bread, and cleans her night-stool. God grant her health and happiness!
It is strange that such things happen! Mariam is a neurologist by vocation. She devoted her entire life to her favorite business; she treated others, took care of acquaintances and strangers, and, while helping the others, could not create her own family. Her family were the people who needed her care! So now she has to live her old days totally lonely.
Sometimes Mariam can starve during a week, and there is no one to give her a glass of water. She lives in an almost destroyed house, with only one room more or less suitable for living. The house built by her ancestors in 1933 is in emergency condition. There is no gas. There is no heating. No water. No toilet. No fridge; the ceiling is leaking... There is almost nothing!!!
A pension of 200 lari is the entire income of this sick woman, who can be treated, but has no possibility because of the catastrophic lack of money for medicines.
We asked Mariam a few questions:
– Tell me, Mariam, where did you work?
– I've worked in many places. After graduating from the Tbilisi Medical Institute I was sent to Gori to work at the regional clinic; then for many years I worked at Tbilisi 8th Clinical Hospital; then I was sent to Cuba for 3 years; after arrival I defended my thesis and got a job at the "Inspectorate for Labor Protection". I was at the origins of the Georgian National Guard, where I served as a doctor.
– How did you find yourself in such a situation?
– The 90s had sad consequences for my family. The area was devastated; money was worthless; wars took away many people's lives; I lost my job and did not have a place to live. I had to buy expensive medicines for my father and mother, who was diagnosed with cancer. I could not find any money for her treatment. Neither did I have money for food. So I sold the apartment for a pittance, and moved to the village. There was the house built by my grandfather in 1930s.
– How long have you been bedridden?
– I can't get out of bed for already 5 years. Bones hurt so much; legs are swollen; I have bedsores: I can hardly sit in bed... I have a wheelchair, but how could I "get into it" and who would walk me around? I'm totally lonely.
– And who cooks or brings you water, as there is no water in the house?
– A good neighbor comes once a week for an hour but the rest of the time I'm alone. Fortunately there is an old TV, and I talk to it as if it were a person.
– Does the local administration help you? Are they aware of your situation?
– Of course they are, but no one helps! My body and soul hurt so much!
– Who did you vote for?
– I did not vote, and I am not going to, until there is a worthy candidate for Georgia! My voice and my heart still belong to Zviad Gamsakhurdia!
– But you do realize that you have deprived yourself of a protector, don't you?
– Do they protect those who voted for them? Are you sure?
– What is vital for you at the moment?
– Medicines, first of all medicines... and, of course, food. I have a metabolic disorder and as a result my body swells; I'm all swollen, and frequent starving contributes to the swelling.
– What are you dreaming about?
– (cries): I pray to God that He would send me a good man to take care of me. I don't need much: just to be visited sometimes; at least once to be brought some hot soup, helped to put the house in order, talked to, and consoled a little... At least I would appreciate a possibility to talk to someone on the phone. But I don't have a phone... A lonely person is not a person: he or she turns into an animal when staying alone for a long time. And I want to die with dignity!
Dear friends, the condition of Mariam Nonikashvili is very deplorable. The videos that we present you cannot describe the emotional pain of this lonely woman. But these pictures show how hard it is for her. She says with such a bitter resentment that from the first second of communication you feel how hopelessness is burning within her heart, how she suffers from her weakness.
It turns out that a person who has worked for all her life for the benefit of other people lies today counting her days, receiving a blow to the stomach from the society – lie down and die!
We appealed to the Ministry of Health and the Social Agency with information about the egregious facts of deprivation of social benefits for the poor who are suffering from a disease, hunger and loneliness, but have not received a response so far. We will certainly inform you whether we will be able to restore justice for this unfortunate and lonely woman, but while the authorities are inactive, our help is just necessary!
We cannot pass by the grief of this 71-year-old woman, so we are initiating a charitable action! Let's give her a helping hand and make sure she doesn't feel completely abandoned. Let's save another life, as we have done together more than once!
You can transfer money to help Mariam Nonikashvili to our Fund account GE15TB7194336080100003 or GE64BG0000000470458000 (Purpose: Mariam Nonikashvili). You can also donate money directly from our website.
You can as well transfer money through terminals NovaTechnology, TBCpay and ExpressPay. Find our Fund in "Charity" section. (You can learn about the additional rights and obligations of the Fund by following the link https://goo.gl/GY2Gus).
Make good deeds and get more than you gave!