– I also like playing with my Luisa (Maya's favorite doll). Her tummy never hurts. But it would be much, much more interesting to play with my sister. I like playing at keeping house... I would be a daughter… Imagine, aunty, – Maya raised her sad eyes at me, -Can you play with me?

...Her 5-year-old sister Mariam doesn't know what it's like to play carefree all day long… The girl has kidney failure and lives in terrible pain! 

In her short life, at just 5 years old, the unfortunate child spent more days in the hospital than at home... Any adult would have died of the pain by now. But not Mary...! She is a fighter and is not going to give up. 

– My Mary seems to have all the diseases that could be invented: a bad kidney, weak immune system, and problematic lungs. You have no idea how many times she's been in hospitals! – The voice of Mariam's father, Gela, trembled treacherously. – I wonder why my little girl has so much strength and desire to live? Not every adult can boast of this… 

– Gela, tell me, what's wrong with the girl? 

– Mary was born with nephrotic syndrome, which torments her and prevents her from living normally. The right kidney doesn't work as it should… She can play with her little sister and suddenly feel bad... Her face, hands, and feet get swollen… I grab her and take her straight to the hospital! She gets vitamins injected. What if one day I don't manage to get there in time?!… Everything can end very badly... – And the head of the family began to cry… 

How bad is it? 

– I even don't want to think of it. It is better not to ask... Mary holds on, tolerates all the procedures and injections… How can I allow myself to have bad thoughts? 

– How often does this happen and how can it be prevented? 

– Almost every week… And I don't know what to do about it… We follow the advice of the doctors, and Mary is still bad… No pills help… The child suffers unbearable pain…

Can you imagine what it feels like for me, the father, to watch all this? 

I have nightmares where Mary is choking and crying, and I can't do anything but watch my little girl suffer… 

Like any father, I feel responsible for Mary's condition, and it hurts me to see my daughter like this, and to feel so helpless…

– What does the doctor say? 

– When Mary turns 12 years old, it will be possible to transplant a kidney. The operation is complex and dangerous, but there is no other way out… Only this will help my baby!

– Where do you take money for medical treatment of the child? 

– I haven't always been unemployed, as I am now… I was not afraid of any work – both at a construction site, and as a loader... My only wish was to prevent my family from poverty… I earned a little, but enough... Right now, I'm fully engaged in treating Mary. After all, skipping one test is like giving a child to the disease… My wife doesn't work, she looks after the children – we have three of them, two girls and the long-awaited daredevil Nikusha. 

Only recently we have received the status of "socially unprotected family" and now we receive 300 lari once a month. But one visit to the doctor costs 70 lari, not to mention medications and tests. The treatment is funded by the state for 80%, and where do we get the rest of the money? Where can I find money for medicine, food for Mariam, and sending tests abroad? Do you know how much it costs to get to the hospital and back every day?! 

I tried to get help from the state, more than once I brought certificates and documents to the local government. Pointless! We were refused everywhere! 

The state pays the amount that is not enough even for a week's pills for my daughter! Due to the lack of finances, it is very difficult for us to control our daughter's condition… But we have two more children – Maya and newborn Nikoloz, who also need a lot…

– No one in your family works, how do you live? 

– You can see for yourself – we don't live, we exist… Money is enough only for the most modest food… And for Mary it is vital to eat fully: she needs meat, cottage cheese, cheese… This is very expensive… When I bring something for Mary, I feed her separately so that Maya can't see… She wants too…

The son is fed breast milk. But my wife is so stressed that I'm afraid soon she will have no milk, and we'll have to buy baby formula as well. And this is an unaffordable amount for us… 

– Let me ask you about the history of your family. Where did you meet Nana? 

– You'll laugh! – For the first time in our conversation, Gela smiled, – We met in Odnoklassniki! I accidentally saw her in the photos of my friend. I added her as a friend. She didn't respond to messages for a long time! Imagine?! Me, such a good guy! But I was persistent! When Nana finally answered me, I immediately asked her for a date.

I liked Nana even before we met, and then I fell in love… As soon as our eyes met, I realized that she was my future wife and the mother of my children. Never before had I felt such warmth inside just looking at a person…

And you, Nana, did you immediately fall in love with Gela? 

– Of course not. Love came after a long courtship... I wanted to make sure that he would be a good and loving father. And it seems I was right. He gave me beautiful children!

– Can I talk to them? 

– Of course. See how Mariam looks at you! She can't wait for her turn.

– Mary (5 years old), honey, tell us, do you have any friends? 

Mary (5 years old): My sister! We love to play house! We have one doll, Louise. She's one and there are two of us. That's why I'm a mom and she's a mom.

– Would you like to make new friends? In the Fund, many people will want to meet a beauty like you!

Mary (5 years old): Yes! I want many, many friends! So that they don't fit in the room! We will play together!

– What else do you want? Do you have a dream, Mariam? 

Mary (5 years old): A bicycle! I want daddy to buy me a bicycle and teach me how to ride it. I want to ride like those kids in the street.

– What kind of bicycle do you want? 

Mary (5 years old): A big one! Red! With a loud signal! I'll be signalling at everyone when I get on it. And I want my sister have a bicycle too so that we can ride together... 

– Maya (3 years old), do you also want a bicycle?

Maya (3 years old): Yes, and sweets! 

– What kind of sweets do you like? 

Maya (3 years old): Chocolate! Dad buys it for me, but when Mary doesn't see. He says she shouldn't eat them! Once, I hid and brought my sister a candy, then my dad scolded me… And Mary was taken somewhere... and then brought back! But I will never, ever do that again! I don't want my sister to be taken away by a big white car!

– Do you know why your father scold you? 

Maya (3 years old): Dad said that Mary's tummy was sick. I just wanted to share it with her...

– Do you go to a kindergarten, girls? 

Marie (5 years old): I don't go, I'll go to school right away! They didn't take me to the kindergarten… My dad said I was big, but only the little ones go there. 

Maya (3 years old): And I go, but I also want to go to school! 

– Very soon you will go to school, beauties! Since you are so big, tell me how you help your mother around the house.

Maya (3 years old): I play with Nikusha! He was so small, and now he's so heavy! I love him.

Mary (5 years old): Yes, we really, really love our Nikusha! When he grows up, he will protect me and my sister! But now, he's small and can't do anything… He can't even talk, but I'll teach him!

Thank you for the dialogue, girls! It was very nice to talk to you, beauties!

Gela, how did you find out about the Fund?

 – I have applied to many funds for help. We didn't dare to write to you for a long time… There are many poor and unhappy people in Georgia. Until it got really hard for us, and we somehow made ends meet… After all, I'm an adult man, a father of three children. I had to provide them with a carefree life! But it didn't work out that way... In a casual conversation, my friend told me about the Chernovetskyi Fund. He said that you help everyone who is in trouble. I looked through the reviews on the Internet, and a ray of hope lit up in me! 

---

Friends, this small, fragile girl with huge eyes needs our help and support! Mariam is a very bright and open child! She has to overcome unbearable pain! Nephrotic syndrome is accompanied by terrible symptoms for the child. The girl's parents do not know what to do, how to help their daughter. God sent them to us! 

Do not remain indifferent, someone else's grief does not exist! We are all the children of the Lord and He created us to support and help each other. Gela Makaridze's family is in great need of our support. They do not have enough money for food and treatment for 5-year-old Mariam. The family will be happy for any help! You can call Gela and find out about Mary's condition at 558 14 74 74. 

Or visit the family at the address: Tbilisi, Somgori district, Tsilubani village, 24 Mshvidobis st., apt. 6.

And be sure to repost our publication. Let all your friends know about the grief of the Makaridze! It is very important.

God gives us the opportunity to take care of people who are not able to do it themselves. Unhappy people are given to us from above so that we can prove our faith to the Almighty not in words but in deeds!

Friends, there is one more request, if you know about the misfortune of a neighbor or friend, do a Charitable deed, write to us by e-mail: office-fsp@fsp.ge. 

Here is the account of our Fund: 

GE15TB7194336080100003

GE42LB0115113036665000

GE64BG0000000470458000 

(appointment: Gela Makaridze). You can also transfer money from our website.

You can as well transfer money from the terminals of Nova Technology, 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).

Together we have helped many miserable people! Let's support the Makaridze family as well. And, who knows, maybe one day we will also need help from strangers!

One call will save a life – 0901 200 270