- Little Barbare (6-year-old) asks me at the doorstep and looks directly into my soul with her deep and clear brown angelic eyes.

  - Imagine, for no reason at all, he suddenly falls down and shakes so heavily that he turns black! I am afraid ma’am! - the little beauty is chattering non-stop, having no idea how her brother suffers. - When I grow up like my mom, I will put on a white coat, like those men and women, who come here by car to treat him, and cure him for sure! Then she looks first at her mom, then at me, and deciding that I might take offense and leave, seriously adds, - I remember you. Don’t worry! I will cure you and your children too.

 What can I say to a child who almost every day sees her little brother twisting and wriggling with epilepsy seizures, seeing him half-dead in her mother’s arms?

 - My son’s illness has completely ruined me! My children and I live in a permanent horror. I believe God is merciful, and my Ilia (3-year-old) will get well for sure! - Salome (30-year-old), a poor single mother sobs.

- My poor babies! They want to enjoy simple and innocent joys of childhood so much, but I cannot even buy candies for them.

 Salome Kvitsiani (30-year-old) and her five wonderful children: little Gabriel (1.6-year-old), seriously ill Ilia (3-year-old), Barbare (6-year-old), Shio (9-year-old) and Nino (9-year-old) have to live in a rented tiny 1-room apartment and they are deprived of everything. Their only hope is God’s mercy and generosity of noble and kind Georgian people.

- Salome, tell me about your baby, the illness he suffers from.

Salome: Ilia’s illness was a complete surprise to me. His first attack happened when he was only 6 months old. He was running a high temperature and the doctors thought the seizures were caused by fever. But they repeated quite soon. We saw many doctors in many hospitals but no one was able to give an exact diagnosis. Only when he was 2 we got the diagnosis - it was epilepsy and we started the treatment. 

You can’t imagine how scary it is! Although Ilya's seizures do not last for more than 1-1.5 minutes, it seems to me that he is dying at that moment, and I am dying with him!

Her little body twists and he gets black. I hold him in my arms and can’t do anything about it. Every time a single thought crosses my head - that I have lost my son forever.

- How often does it happen to him?

Salome: It used to be 2 or 3 times a day. Now the doctors have changed the medication hoping it will help. My poor boy, he suffers so much. He is only 3. We have been living in constant fear days and nights. My children and I live in a nightmare.

- How do the elder children respond to their brother’s disease?

Salome: Oh, they worry so much and keep asking me the same questions: Mommy, will he get well? Why is he so bad? In general, Ilia is a very warm, affectionate and sociable boy, but due to his illness, sometimes he has bursts of aggression when he needs to be left alone. Only little Gabriel (1.6-year-old) is still too little to understand, what’s going on, but the elder children are very conscious and know what to do when it happens. 

- Salome, what do the doctors say, what is the prognosis? Do you need help for the child’s treatment?

Salome: My son's illness trampled me down, tore my heart to pieces ... But fortunately, the prognosis is favorable. The doctors say it’s the initial stage of epilepsy and he will defeat it with the help of medications by the time he is 5. The state financed the expensive medications for him. Currently he is taking another medication which is not financed by the state, but it is very cheap - only 2.5 GEL per 10 pills. It’s nothing if compared with the amount I need to buy food for my little ones, which I do not always have.

- How exactly can we help you at the moment? What is the main problem of your family?

Salome: It happened so that I am raising my five children alone. We can hardly fit in this 1-room-apartment, we pay 300-GEL-rent, but we need to get food somehow, little Gabriel needs diapers, we have nothing of our own. All these old-fashioned appliances, the fridge, the table-top gas stove belong to our landlady. Kids do not have either a TV, or a computer, which is necessary for online study.

- What is your monthly income? What do you live on?

Salome: As you see, I have nobody to leave my children with. I used to work as nanny at a school for disabled children, but I had to withdraw after I got married. At the moment our income is the social allowance, plus the allowance for a largefamily, plus Ilia’s disability pension. But I had to take the whole amount in advance, so now I am getting only a half of it. It is 855 GEL total per month -we pay 300 GEL for the rent and the rest of money is spent on utility bills, food, diapers, medications. We don’t live, we just survive. My poor children are deprived of everything. 

- Salome, how did you find yourself in such a difficult situation? What happened, why do you raise the children alone?

Salome: Oh, it’s a very sensitive topic, which I would not like to touch, but if you ask... I came to Tbilisi from Gardabani when I was 18 years old eager to work and study, seeing my future in glowing colors. A friend of mine introduced me to my future husband. Everything was so beautiful, so wonderful, we fell in love and believed we could not live without each other ... Everything was fine, my husband worked, there were no signs of trouble. In my dreams a saw a big and strong family, life full of love and joy. Oh, Lord, how wrong I was! He left me for another woman. Just left, without saying anything. Now he occasionally calls to the children, and once in 3 or 4 months gives them 50 or 100 laris. Thanks for that, but how can this be enough for the five of them?!

- In particular, what do your children eat? What is their everyday diet?

Salome: I try to make soups for them, but sometimes they live on dry rations (sighs heavily) potatoes, pasta, cereals. Sometimes it’s fried eggs, and when I get the allowance I try to buy a chicken to make a broth. They only dream of sweets.

- Does anybody help you? Parents or relatives?

Salome: My ex-husband’s mother sends us food from the village sometimes, it is a significant support for us. My parents live far away, they are not young and they also need help. How can I ask them to help me?

- We are so sorry! And did you address anybody for help? The local government, for instance?

Salome: I appealed to everybody. During the quarantine I wrote to all kind of authorities and Funds, but you were the only one to respond. The state pays us the allowance, and we are grateful for that. We cannot expect any other help.

- What do you believe in? In what do you see the salvation? 

Salome: I am an Orthodox Christian and I try to instill Christian values in my children. Unfortunately, due to Ilia’s illness we don’t often go to church, but I always pray at home asking for health and well-being for my children. 

- Do you believe in the kindness of strangers?

Salome: - Yes, of course! Unfortunately, all the people around me live so hard, that they can only support me with words. But once, for instance, before the New Year a Georgian couple brought some food and gifts for my children. Just from their heart. I am so grateful to them, they made a real holiday, God bless them! 

- Tell me about your children, please. - Do they go to school and kindergarten? What are their hobbies?

Salome: The twins Nino (9-year-old) and Shio (9-year-old) study well and please me. But they have different preferences. Shio is good at math, and his sister prefers humanities and arts. She can draw well. I wanted her to go to the arts school, but a monthly 20- GEL- fee turned unaffordable to me. Little Barbare can't wait when school starts, because she's going to the first form! As for the babies, the whole last year we were busy with visiting doctors and treating Ilia, and Gabriel is too little to go to the kindergarten.

- Salome, may I talk to your children?

- Shio, do you study well? What is your favorite subject at school? 

Shio (9-year-old): Oh, yes! My mother is happy of my good marks. Most of all I love math, I am fond of solving problems. Especially logical problems!

Nino (9-year-old): Noooo! Math is so boring! It can’t be compared with the Georgian language and literature lessons! I love to draw! Do you want me to show you my drawings? You know, once mommy took me to the arts school and one lady there got excited with my works and said that I should study! So, I am talented! I want to become a famous painter! To have my own exhibitions so that people would get excited with my paintings! 

- Shio, what are your hobbies? 

Shio (9-year-old): I like art history. I would like to become a famous actor. Very-very famous! To earn a lot of money and buy my sisters and brothers everything they want! And mommy as well! I want my mother to be proud of me and to say when I am on TV: “Look! It is my son!”

- And what about you, Barbare! Do you want to go to school?

Barbare (6-year-old): Yes! I want to study with Shio and Nino. I can already read, and I like to watch my brother and sister learn! Especially when they learn poems. It’s so good! I want to do it as well! 

- Smart girl! What do you like eating? What is your favorite dish? 

Barbare (6-year-old): Well, I like many things - pasta, buckwheat, fried potatoes. I love everything that mother cooks. I also like sweets, but we do not eat them frequently. 

- Have you decided yet what you want to be when you grow up? 

Barbare (6-year-old): Yes! I want to be a doctor! My brother Ilia often feels sick. I want to become a doctor to cure him! Then my brother will never suffer. 

Ilia, do you see how your sister loves you? Who do you love most? 

Ilia (3-year-old): I love everybody! Mommy, Shio, Nino, Babi and Gabriel! We often play cars together, but he cannot talk yet, sometimes he cries and I cannot understand why. Wish him start talking soon!

- Guys, you are wonderful! What gift would you like to have? What would make you happier?

Shio (9-year-old): A computer! The school tablets do not work well. That’s why, when the on-line lessons started, me and Nino were unable to attend classes, and as a result, now we are behind - it’s a pity! 

And a bike! Ilia and me dream about it, but, actually, Ilia needs a tricycle, and I’d like to have a bicycle. But it does not matter! It would be great to have it for the two of us.

Ilia (3-year-old): Yes! When the other boys are racing in the yard we only have to stare at them (the little boy sighs heavily). And a huge TV! We would sit down and watch cartoons! All together! 

Barbare (6-year-old): And me? What about me? I want a big and beautiful doll. In a beautiful dress. And many-many sweets!

- Guys, you are so nice, you will definitely have everything! Salome, what is your biggest dream?

Salome: My only dream is my children to be healthy. So that they would have all basic things, so that toys and sweet wouldn't be the dream of their life!

-What, do you think, you need most in your home?

Salome: You know, I feel so awkward to ask. But God sees I am doing that for the sake of my children, I am ready to do anything for their well-being. 

We need all kind of support. We have no money to buy food, diapers for Gabriel. I am talking about the most basic things.

We will be grateful for any help, even for the words of support. We have nothing, only the washing machine from the social agency. Children need a computer to study. The TV is out of order, the fridge and gas stove are very old. I would be happy to have a gas stove withe an oven. It would significantly reduce our expenses. I would bake bread for the kids at home.

- Why did you decide to address us?

Salome: I have addressed all kind of authorities and many funds, I am in despair. There were only you to respond to my screams for help. I often see your posts on Facebook, as they say, “news spreads like wildfire”, I have heard many times that you really help people in deeds and not by words, that your Fund has many good friends!

My only hope are you and God! I am sure it was He who brought you to my house. 

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Friends, that’s Salome’s destiny to raise five children alone. The children are deprived of everything: toys, proper food, their chance to study, and just a careless childhood!

Besides all the things they are deprived of, they also have to face the terrible epilepsy seizures their brother suffers from. They are scared and unhappy. Salome, being a single mother, is unable to keep her family properly alone. Too much responsibility falls on her fragile shoulders.

The family critically needs food, diapers and appliances, and the kids dream of toys and sweets. Their only hope is God and compassion of good people.

Call Salome, cheer her up and give her a hope for tomorrow Phone: 568-968-228 Salome Kvitsiani.

Visit them at: Tbilisi, Vazisubani, block 3, entrance 1, 5th floor, apartment 13.

Please repost our publication. Let you friends know about the Kvitsiani family and the challenges they face! It’s extremely important!

God gives us chances to care about people who are unable to take care of themselves. Those poor people are sent to us by heaven so that we could prove not by words, but in deeds that we trust in God!

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: Salome Kvitsiani) 

You can also transfer money from our website.

It is also possible to transfer money from Nova Technology, TBCpay and ExpressPay terminals. (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 Salome and her children, as no one is immune to bad luck! And who knows, maybe someday we ourselves will need help of strangers!

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