“Hang on, my little boy, hang on!” 22-year-old Maya, mother of two boys David(1-year-old) and Gela (5-year-old) cringed of fear. Her neck is swollen, and the back of her head is deformed - all due to the damned diagnosis of Hodgkin lymphoma (cancer of the lymph nodes). 

 Poor Maya appeals to all mothers and fathers of Georgia to save the babies. Save them from hunger! I am not asking for myself! Only for kids! This is my only plea!

 The Lord, the Almighty, will reward you, but I cannot. 

I will only pray for your children every day! Always!

 I will get well too! I will start working. Please, don’t leave us alone in this hardship, please”- Maya can no longer hold back her tears, looking at her sons crying of hunger.

Mommy, won’t rats eat us up at night?

22-year-old Maya Baliashvili's heart tightens with horror when her 5-year-old son Gela asks this question. He does not dream of a scooter or a bicycle, like all children of his age ... The boy is seized with fear that he will get bitten by rats coming out of wall cracks in their ruined hut at night.

Maya, along with her two sons - Gela and one-year-old David, huddle in one room of a ruined building. Huge holes in the walls are just half the trouble of this unsafe dwelling. A collapsed ceiling, concrete floor, cardboards instead of windowpanes and no doors - in such conditions do two little Georgians grow up!They have to learn what poverty, cold and hunger are at the beginning of their life. 

But God did not leave Maya, friends! He never leaves those who sincerely believe in His power and do not lose hope. Life in unbearable conditions crippled not only the soul of our heroine, but also her health. A 22-year-old mother has a terrible diagnosis - Hodgkin lymphoma - a cancer of the lymph nodes. And now, the fear of death from hunger has been replaced by the fear of leaving her little children orphans.

- No words can describe the pain and fear of my mother's heart... I had to visit the doctor when inflammation of my lymph nodes just started. I delayed until my neck and nape became swollen and deformed ... Look what I look like now ... Instead of having happy motherhood, which every woman dreams of, I am terrified of tomorrow ... You should understand, I could not leave my children hungry and afford visiting a doctor! They are always undernourished - Maya began her story barely holding back her tears. 

How can we help you, Maya?

- I don’t ask you to help me with the treatment, the children are the main thing for me. I can endure pain, hunger, and cold, but they can’t ... Please help my boys not to die of hunger... I don’t remember when they last ate normally ... We can only afford watery soups which the children just hate now. But they have no choice! They are not picky at all and they eat everything t I give them. Otherwise I would go insane. The youngest son is only one year old, he also needs diapers ... If you can, please help to get beds as well ... Ours are too uncomfortable to lie on - well, one can hardly call them beds.One can survive without appliances and furniture, but bed is a necessary thing.

How did you find yourself in such a difficult situation? 

- I don’t know what to start with... We have always lived in poverty, we barely had enough money for food. But there was my husband with me who kept the children and me. And the house did not fall apart before our eyes. Now we are freezing at night, and when it rains, we have to stay at home under a leaking roof, getting wet through. ... I am afraid to think what it will be in winter ... There is no point in lighting the stove, because the wind makes its way through the huge cracks in the walls. Windows and doors do not close properly, the wind often blows off the cardboards which cover the huge holes in the window frames ... Please, don’t think, that I am complaining ... This house was kindly provided to us by a friend.He allowed me and my children to live here for free, and I am very grateful to him! It’s better than living in the street.

Where is your husband? Why do you raise your children alone?

My husband is a good man, but he got into trouble, and now I don't know when I will see him ... I believe he will be acquitted ... In the meantime, my children are growing up without their father ... I hope that God will not take me away from my angels ... I don’t want leaving my boys when they are so small ... They won't even remember me ...

What can you say about your disease? How did you learn about the diagnosis? What stage of treatment are you now?

- My lymph nodes got inflamed after a flu. Initially I did not pay much attention to it. I thought it would pass by itself, and there was no need to spend money on doctors, because every penny counts! Then I lost weight dramatically, the temperature rose, I felt weak and my neck and nape got swollen. When I visited doctors, they got shocked seeing my condition. The verdict was terrible - oncology of the lymphatic system. Recently, they diagnosed the third stage of the disease and prescribed me chemotherapy. The state covers 80% of the treatment cost. I had no idea how to gather the rest of the sum, but we live in Georgia! We have most compassionate people who will never leave a person in trouble! 

My classmates and neighbors supported me. They gathered money for my examination and then the lacking amount for the first chemotherapy. God did not leave me and he send saviors to me! Hallowed be Thy name! May His mercy and grace be with all who cared of me and supported me in this heaviest time of my life!

After the examination I’ve got hope - doctors say that after several courses of chemotherapy I will get well for sure. I live with this hope. If it weren’t for the disease I would definitely start working. But now, after chemotherapy I can do nothing. It is so painful - I wouldn’t wish anybody to suffer it ...

What means do you live on?

The state pays us social allowance of 100 GEL per month. We are trying to survive with this modest amount. But now, when prices are rising, we do not have enough money even for the basic foodstuffs ...5-kilogram pasta pack costs 20 GEL today! I cannot spend such a large amount at once! 

I have to buy potatoes and make soup. But is it good for the baby’s stomach? We are lucky when the neighbors bring something. We have a real feast then! 

Do your relatives help you? 

- My mother raised me alone. She is 62 now and she lives worse than we do. Mother tries to help us with products, but her pension is enough for nothing. Besides all, she has serious eye problems getting worse every day. Recently she could not recognize people, because she did not see their faces. We have no money to visit the doctor. I am afraid she will get blind soon. It is not what I wished for her in her old age. God sees in what condition am I now, I can’t help her, but I would like to, with all my heart.

The situation is even more complicated with my husband’s relatives. He was raised in terrible conditions. He lost his mother when he was 6. His father failed to cope with the grief and died unexpectedly. Khvicha - this is my husband’s name, grew up in a dilapidated house as an orphan, hungry and cold, along with his brothers and sisters. Most part of his life he wanted to spare his children from poverty, which he had gone through himself ...

Tell me more about your husband, please. Where did you meet? Didn't his hard childhood frighten you? 

- I learned about his poverty when we got married. We met on Facebook through mutual friends.

I was 17 years old when Khvicha appeared in my life. We were very young, and we truly fell in love with each other. We gave way to our feelings, and immediately decided to live together. He is my first and only love. I don’t regret of anything, I have wonderful children. It’s hard time for us, but I try not to lose heart. It is the easiest thing you can do. When you are mother of two children you have no right to be weak.

In what do you see the salvation, a way out of your plight? 

- I will recover and will go to work.I believe that my husband will be acquitted by that time and we will start making plans together again. We used to see quite a different future for us. We wanted to buy a small plot of land, build a tiny house there, and raise the boys so that they would be a model for others... It's still possible to do... I believe...

You know, sometimes I want to give up, throw up my hands, but my children don’t let me break. Every time when I look into my sons’ eyes, I feel strong and hope for a better life. Even the fact that you are talking to me now gets my hopes up, calms me down. I am sure that there are no lukewarm people in Georgia, who will pass by a neighbor’s tragedy, and that's why I have addressed you.

Have you ever thought that such misfortune would happen to you?

- Not even in a nightmare.I never expected anything like that. When I graduated from school, I wanted to take stylist or a hairdresser course ... Or, perhaps, manicure courses, just to help girls be beautiful! I like when women are well-groomed, and I always wanted to be like this. But fate decided otherwise. My illness completely deformed my neck, and now I am even ashamed to go out into the street ... I avoid looking in the mirror ... I cannot recognize my reflection. 

Maya, I am sure, you will get well, and will fulfill all your dreams! Just don’t give up. God is nearby, He has not left you. Do you believe in God? 

- I do ... But I think he wants to teach me something ... Not every girl at 22 experiences anything like this... God will not let any test come on you which you are not able to undergo; but He will make with the test a way out of it, so that you may be able to go through it. Before I go to bed, I pray to God for a better life for my children. And I believe that the Lord protects us, he is near, I feel it ...

Do you believe in the kindness of strangers? 

- There are many kind people in my life. I will tell you what happened to me not long ago. In the hospital, they required three tests and tomography. When the doctor told me the price of tomography, I felt confused. The only problem that worried me at that moment was where to get those 900 GEL? It was huge money! And what do you think? My classmates helped me to gather this incredible amount. I cried of happiness. How can I thank them? I want everybody to know - I am so grateful!

My neighbors often help me with food, they know how hard life is for us now. This is the greatest thing a man can do - to lend a helping hand to someone who needs it.

There was another great experience in my life. I have a friend - Nino. When she found out that I was ill, she brought a whole package of food and gave us 200 GEL for my treatment. I burst into tears! It was so embarrassing to take this money. But I had no other way. I will remember it all my life! God will surely bless her kind heart and generous soul.

I am glad that you have good people in your life. How did you learn about the Fund?

A friend of mine recommended me to address you. She is the mother of the man, who sheltered us. To be honest, I didn't think there were foundations that really helped people. But when I visited your site, I was surprised. You really help those in need! And I felt that something might change in my life too ...

The Fund has a lot of friends. Would you like to meet them? 

- Do you also have friends? What can be better? I don't have many friends, I will be happy to meet good people!

Children will be happy too. They are very sociable and warm! Especially the elder - Gela. He loves to communicate with people very much. 

Tel me more about your children. What are they like? 

- Gela is very talented. He likes to draw, and he can count fluently... godsend, gifted boy!The little one is just beginning to discover the world. Such a fidget ... Doesn't listen to me at all! I say one thing, but he does another! Like all children ... Still, they both are just little boys and nobody knows what awaits them. I wish my children would never know what hunger and poverty are. 

Maya, what kind of future do you see for your boys?

- I want so many things for them! But I can do nothing.

Maya could not complete her answer. She looked around and started crying. Her eldest son Gela ran into the room and seeing his mother in tears, turned to me with a question:

Gela (5-year-old): Ma’am, did you make my mommy cry? 

No, dear! We did not want her to cry! 

We want to help you. Do you often help your mother? 

Gela (5-year-old): - Always, ma’am! Mommy leaves my brother with me when she gets very tired. I play with him, while she lies in bed looking at us. 

What do you like to play?

- Cars! Mine is broken, my neighbor gave it to me, but I will fix it! I'm already big and strong! Mom says I have to eat well to be strong! That’s why, I always finish my mother's soups up to the end, but I'll tell you a secret (Gela whispers softly) - I don't like them.

Ma’am, can you bring us some cookies when you come next time? They are so tasty! Once, long ago mother bought them for us, me and Davit liked them very much! I’d like to have them again. When you come next time, bring some cookies to my brother, I am already big. I am five and I am strong! Well, if there are two cookies, don’t forget about me. 

I promise! Gela, what do you want to be when you grow up?

Gela (5-year-old): - A wizard! Because they can do everything! They are so strong and are afraid of nothing!

And what are you afraid of?

Gela (5-year-old): - I am only afraid of rats. They are so scary and their tails are hairy and long. At night they come out and make noise. I'm afraid they will bite me or my brother. Mom says that rats don't bite, but I think they eat everything!

I'm terribly afraid of them too! Maybe you are dreaming of some toy or a bicycle? 

- No, ma’am! Mom has no money to buy me a bicycle. I can’t even ride it. My neighbor has a bicycle and he often lets us ride. It would be great if I had it. We would race then. 

Maya, how can the friends of the Fund help your family? 

I feel so embarrassed to bother you, but I have no other way. We need food - cereals, pasta, potatoes, children need fruits and vegetables for vitamins.They are so little, they need to strengthen their immunity and bones ... And they eat almost nothing. My boys don't know what meat tastes like ... They just adore sweets, but I have no extra penny to buy them any sweets ... Help us with the furniture, if it is possible. ... We don't have any - we sleep on hard homemade beds that hurt our back. I dare to ask for appliances. In my situation it’s so difficult to wash things by hands, my neck and my hands go numb when I sit and wash for a long time, but I dare ask for appliances... Although I feel very embarrassed and ashamed to bother you ...

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 Misfortune befell on a mother of two children and she asks for help! She alone brings up two sons in conditions quite unsuitable for life. The walls are collapsing, the floor is just a concrete floor, and there are huge holes in the roof. Actually, one can say there is no roof! Children sit in the house under umbrellas when it rains. Windows have cardboards instead of glasses. Maya has to cook in the yard.

There is nobody to take care of the ill woman. That’s why God directed this woman to us, friends. Maybe you, our dear friends, are the last hope for poor Maya.

Call Maya, ask her how she feels, cheer her up and give her hope for tomorrow. Phone: 598 17 46 07

You can meet her in person and provide her help, and God will reward you!

Address: Kareli District, village Ruisi.

Please repost our publication. Let your friends know about the grief of this family! It’s extremely important!

Friends, there is one more request - if you know about any misfortune of a neighbor or friend do a godly deed, drop us an email at: office-fsp@fsp.ge

Our Fund’s accounts are:

GE15TB7194336080100003

GE42LB0115113036665000

GE64BG0000000470458000

 (purpose: Maya Baliashvili). You can also transfer money from our website:

It is also possible to transfer money from ОРРА, TBCpay and ExpressPay terminals. Find our Fund under "Charity" section. (You can read more about rights and responsibilities of the Fund following the link https://goo.gl/GY2Gus )

We have already helped many disadvantaged people! Let’s support Maya as no one is immune to bad luck! And who knows, maybe someday we ourselves will need help of strangers!

One call saves life - 0901 200 270