Ma’am, why doesn’t my brother want to talk to me?
Friends, our sunny Georgia is a homeland of the kindest people in the world, who will never leave their neighbors in trouble and who always have their souls open for compassion. Little Deniz needs help right now, and we are sure it was God who brought his almost desperate family to our Fund.
-Marika tell me, please, about your son’s disease.
Mari: When I was still pregnant the doctors told me that the fetus had stopped growing and developing. When my Denis was born, he was tiny like a kitten, his weight was 2.600 kg and he suffered from severe sepsis. He spent 25 days in an intensive care unit. I thought I would turn crazy! But God is merciful, my son was discharged from hospital and we were told to take brain scan after three months. We took the scan. I knew he had hemorrhages and excess fluid in the ventricles of the brain, but I did not even suspect that the problems would be so serious. The scan showed that my son was mentally retarded, and nobody knew if there was any chance to help him. He is one year and three months old now, but he cannot walk, sit, talk, he can’t even hold a spoon in his hands, he can only cry, poor baby.
- What is the prognosis for him, and what can be done right now to help the child?
Marika: His treatment is out the question yet. Recently the state has financed a healing massage course for Deniz. As for the rest, the doctors avoid touching him because the exact diagnosis is not known yet, and when treating one problem, it is important not to trigger a new one. We constantly undergo medical examinations, once in three month we have to take brain scan, we take various tests all the time. All of them cost a fortune, and each time it gets harder for me to pay. We have already borrowed from everyone we could. Now my son has to take a number of tests, the total cost of which is 300 GEL. Where should we get this money? If only my husband would be by me...
- What happened, Marika? What is the reason that your husband is not with you?
Marika: It is a sad story, I prefer not to talk about it. It happened so, that he found himself in prison. I had no money to hire a proper lawyer. I know for sure he is not guilty, and he does not deserve it. He is so hardworking! Such a caring father!
- Can you tell me how you met each other?
Marika: I was a school student at that time, and my husband worked abroad, first in Spain and then in Antalya. He is a hard worker - everything you see in this home is the result of his work! His motto is: “Bring everything home”. We never used to be rich, but we’ve never been in need either. The children always had proper things to eat and proper things to wear. We met at a classmate’s website (laughs), we had been texting and dating for a long time, he used to make wonderful presents and surprises to me. The day we got married was the happiest day of my life! Now I am left alone with our sick son in my arms and I probably won't see him for 5 years. I have no idea how I will manage to raise our children alone.
- What is the most difficult thing in raising a sick child?
Marika: In my case the hardest thing is uncertainty. I don’t know what to expect. Is it possible at all to put my son on his feet?, Will he ever become a well-functioning child? And there is a permanent fear. The fear that I will not have enough money to help our son.
- What would you advise mothers in the same dire situation as yours?
Marika: To keep standing firm and not give in to discouragement. Because we are about to start a hard fight for the health and well-being of our children. We should be strong for their sake.
- Have you ever thought that such misfortune would happen to you?
Marika: You know, I have never dreamed of being rich. The only thing I want is a quiet family life. I want my children never to be in need and always have enough food to eat and proper things to wear. We used to live like that - my husband used to keep us this way. But suddenly all came down on me. My son’s illness, all those terrible things. I'm holding up because I know my children need me.
- Does anybody help you? Parents or relatives?
Marika: My parents live in Kobuleti and the only thing they can help me with is natural cow milk for my children. They can’t do more, since they are socially disadvantaged, and they themselves need help. We live together with my mother-in-law - she is a wonderful woman. I permanently have to visit doctors together with Deniz, and she stays with my elder daughter. But my Lile is a very capricious and willful girl. My mother-in-law used to work gathering tea at tea plantations, which was a very hard job. But now, because of the pandemic, she can’t. My father-in law died several years ago, but our relatives send us potatoes and fruits from the village sometimes. That’s all they can do for us. You know, there is unemployment there and rural life is hard. But I do not complain. As a matter of fact, I need a lot of money for my son, such as doctors’ examination, and I haven’t got that money, I’d like to die, for I can’t help him.
- We are so sorry! And did you address anybody for help? The local government, for instance?
Marika: I keep on visiting various authorities and witting applications. The baby needs lots of things - food, diapers, medications, examinations. And I have my eldest daughter too, who also needs food and clothes.
I can’t say that state authorities do not help us at all, but unfortunately, this help is not enough. They partly financed the MRI scan, the massage course, but it is not enough. They do not finance analyses, and we have to send our genetic test to the USA. We have to pay 2000 Euros to get the results within two months - free results will be ready only in 18 months. But in our case every second counts.
- In what do you see the salvation?
Marika: I always pray at home, our family is very religious, my husband and my mother-in-law too. It’s natural! If you don’t believe in the Higher Power and miracles, how will you cope with all the trials that fate sends to us?
- Do you believe in the kindness of strangers?
Marika: Yes, of course! You can say a lot just looking in a person's eyes, see if the person is kind or wicked, empathic or not. I remember, when I used to work as a salesperson in a shop an unknown woman gave me a scarf because she liked me. It was so nice! Attention and warmth are the most important things in life.
- Marika, how did you find yourself in this building?
Marika: These rooms are arbitrarily occupied by socially disadvantaged families. We started living here 6 years ago. A relative told us there was one free room. The room is too small, but we have no other place to go. And we live in a constant fear that they will let us out. What can we do? We have no place of our own to live.
- What is your family income? What’s it enough for?
Marika: Enough? Not really! We get 280 GEL of social allowance. The food, diapers, medications, utility costs... It means that we only have potatoes to eat.
- What do your children eat? What is their everyday diet?
Marika: The eldest likes fried potatoes and she misses cutlets so much... I give semolina porridge with cow milk to the baby, who is bottle-fed. We had no money to buy formula, so we had to give up purchasing it. When Lile used to go to the kindergarten it was much easier, they were fed well - they had meat and fish for dinner there, and now they give us only cereals and pasta.
- Can I talk to your daughter, please? Lile, you are such a beautiful girl! Do you go to the kindergarten?
Lile (3-year-old): I used to go, but now I do not. Mom says the kindergarten is closed. I enjoyed playing with the children, it was fun, and there were so many toys there!
- Do you have a favorite toy?
Lile (3-year-old): I have a doll - my daddy gave it to me! Look how pretty it is! She sleeps with me. But I prefer playing with the children in the yard, play in the sand or tags. If I only had a scooter it would be much more fun. Almost everybody has one, and I haven’t (the little girl heavily sighs). I am dreaming of it so much! I ask mommy to buy it for my birthday. And she says, she has got no money now, but she will buy it as soon as she has it.
- When is your birthday, Lile?
Lile (3-year-old): Mom says it will be very soon!
Marika: On 6th of October. But I am not sure about the scooter. I’d like to get money for the analyses... - the young woman sighs heavily.
- Don’t worry, baby, dreams always come true! And who makes your beautiful braids?
Lile (3-year-old): Mommy! She is the most beautiful and the kindest mom in the world! But my brother often cries, his head aches and mommy always goes to the doctor together with him! I want to be a doctor, to cure my brother, so my mother will not have to take him anywhere anymore. I want to play with him, but he does not want either to walk or to talk. Mommy says he is ill. Ma’am, can you help him?
- Believe me, your brother will get well for sure! Marika, your daughter dreams of a scooter, and what is your dream?
Marika: In my most cherished dreams I see my son healthy, and my husband being by me. I dream of a calm life and health of my babies. I need neither money, nor luxury. Let everything go well in our family.
- What particular help do you need most of all?
Marika: I can only think about my son now. We should have taken the analyses long-long ago, but I cannot get the necessary amount - 300 GEL. We permanently need the food, diapers, analyses! We cannot cope with that.
There is another big problem - we have no gas stove. In winter we light a wood stove, and in summer we use a gas bottle to make food. It is very dangerous. I don’t sleep at night, because it seems that I feel gas smell. If you only could help us with that, so that the children would not breathe this terrible smell.
We would be happy to get any help. I know your Fund has many good friends, you have already helped so many people.
Lord knows, I ask only for the sake of Deniz. I can’t cope alone, my little son needs your help so much!
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Friends, the Meladze family found themselves in an extremely difficult situation. Mother Marika has to cope with her son Deniz’s (1.6-year-old) disease alone. The illness of a child is the heaviest trial for any family, especially when you are short of money.
Little Deniz is one year and three months old, but he cannot sit, crawl, talk, and he can only eat from a bottle. Friends, he needs your help! His medical examinations and analyses cost a fortune. The family urgently needs diapers, food, medications.
You can call Marika and support her with kind words! She will be very happy! Her phone is: 571 33 22 22.
You can also visit the Meladze family at the following address: Batumi, Tbeti Street, Block 12, apartment 16.
Please repost our publication. Let your friends know about the grief of this family! 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 the 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: Meladze family).
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 Meladze family, 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
