“Sleep, my joy, sleep, I am close to you and will not let you go! I am here and will guard your sleep... My dear, my little girl... " - for 28 years now, a mother has been singing this song to her daughter to calm her down after attacks and seizures. For 28 years she has been holding and squeezing her hand tightly so that Mtvarisa felt that she is not left, that she is not alone. The only thing that connects her with this world is her mother's voice and her mother's hands ...

When Mtvarisa was a baby, her mother always carried her in her arms, embracing her. Then the girl grew up, and her mother sat her on her knees and dandled her until the attack ended... Now mother cannot do that anymore - Mtvarisa is already big! So, her mom lies down next to her, cuddles up and sings in her ear... And Mtvarisa sings along: "Oo-oo-oo-oo-oo... oo-oo-oo-oo", because this is the only way she can let her mother know, that she is okay.

What happened to this unfortunate girl? Why did a perfectly healthy child become like this? How do mother and daughter survive on a tiny pension? You will learn all this in the heartbreaking interview of her mom - Khatuna Todua.

Khatuna: When the war in Abkhazia started, my husband, children, and I fled from there. When we arrived here, they settled us in Borjomi and provided us with this apartment. And then the worst thing happened... My youngest daughter, only four months old then, caught a cold. Doctors could not understand for a long time what was wrong with the child. They started to treat her for pneumonia, but the baby was getting worse... The doctors just threw up their hands - they were unable to help the child. She was diagnosed with meningitis much later, when the disease already developed and turned my daughter into a disabled person. Our life turned into a nightmare; our anguish started. We went from one doctor to another... We spent seven long years living in hospitals! All doctors told us the same - such children aren’t here for long. They said: “Take your daughter, she is hopeless, she will live another eight years at maximum..." But contrary to all predictions, Mtvarisa is already 28 years old! We will continue to struggle for her life, no matter what!

-Could you, please tell me about Mtvarisa’s condition?

Khatuna: My daughter cannot walk, talk, move. She does not hold her head, so I tie her to the wheelchair with a scarf so that she does not fall down. The right part of her body is completely paralyzed. Mtvarisa can’t even eat independently. She is completely helpless without me. Since my daughter cannot talk, I taught her to communicate with me with gestures - to show me if she needed something.

But the most terrible thing are attacks. She has seizures several times a day - they fetter her body, severely hurt her, my daughter cries... I need to be with her at this time, so that she does not hit her head in convulsions, does not harm herself. But it’s even worse at night. Sometimes we don’t sleep at all - attacks follow one to another till morning. Then she seems to calm down and falls asleep... But when she wakes up attack repeats. Every day the same thing happens.

- What can cause the seizures?

Khatuna: They happen involuntarily and unexpectedly. Any change in the weather immediately affects my daughter. Sudden changes in air temperature, atmospheric pressure can cause attacks to happen more often than usually. Even her good mood - if she was very happy about something that day – that can also cause seizures.

- Khatuna, do you take care of your daughter alone? Does anybody help you?

Khatuna: We are completely alone with Mtvarisa. I have an older daughter - Tamar. Before she got married and moved to Tbilisi, she used to help me a lot. I worked at a banquet hall then and could leave Mtvarisa with her sister. Now Tamar has her own family, she has three kids, and they live in poverty. How can I ask her for help now? I can’t work now - I have to be with Mtvarisa all day long. She is absolutely helpless without me. And my husband... he has not been with us for twenty years. His heart could not stand the experience, and he died. So much grief befell our family.

- Could you please tell me how did you meet your husband? When you started your family, have you ever thought that such misfortune would happen to you?

Khatuna: We met in Abkhazia. I worked in a store, and he just had been discharged from the military. We immediately liked each other. We dated for a couple of years and then got married. We had a wonderful, happy family, two perfectly healthy children. What else could one dream of? Even the war did not darken our plans for the future... But when our daughter got sick... What a grief! I would never have thought that we would have to endure so much suffering!

- What do you live on? Does the state help you?

Khatuna: We don’t get a social allowance. The state pays us monthly 45 GEL, as we are refugees, plus 250 a disability pension. Having the status of disabled person from Abkhazia we are also entitled to get 150 GEL per year for medications. The local authorities finance us for medications once a year as well. That’s all! We don’t get any other aid from state. And this money is enough for nothing. How is it possible to choose between buying medications or food?

- What does Mtvarisa eat?

Khatuna: She cannot eat regular food because she cannot swallow. I grind all the food, or I prepare liquid food for her. I feed her with my hands. Of course, the products should also be natural, but there is not enough money for everything... My daughter needs special nutrition.

- What do the doctors say – is there any chance for her to recover?

Khatuna: It hurts me to say that, but... There is no chance! From the very beginning doctors told us that children with such diagnosis aren’t here for a long. But we managed to defeat death. However, we are not talking about complete recovery. The only thing that we can do - is to create the conditions to keep my daughter alive.

- What help do you need?

Khatuna: I don’t need anything in this life, only for my daughter to be alive. I’d like to ask all kind people about one thing - to help us with foodstuffs, medications, and diapers. My daughter needs to be examined by doctors, she needs expensive medications, but we have no money for that. I will be grateful to anyone who will help me!

– Khatuna, what do you believe in? In what do you see the salvation?

Khatuna: I believe in God and in His endless love! The Lord is always with us, I feel Him every day, every moment of my life. My daughter and I often go to church. In no other place does Mtvarisa feel as good as in church. She always smiles and rejoices when she hears the liturgical chants. The God gave me such an angel - my Mtvarisa. In her smile, in her eyes I can see the God Himself. I believe the Lord will never leave us!

***

Friends, it is impossible to look at Mtvarisa and to listen the story about her without tears! We have no right to leave this poor girl without out help and attention! She needs medications, diapers, and foodstuffs. Let’s help her, let’s show her our mercy, let’s give her a chance to live normally!

You can come to visit Mtvarisa and learn about the needs of her family, cheer them up and give them support, tell them that they are not alone and that we will not leave them in trouble. It’s extremely important!

Their address is: Borjomi, 107 Rustaveli Str.

Friends, Chernovetskyi Charity Fund is starting a charity campaign to help Mtvarisa Karchava.

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

God gives us chances to care of people who are unable to take care of themselves. Not all people are the same. Not all of them are as kind as we are. Do not pass by someone else's trouble! 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: Mtvarisa Karchava).

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).

One call saves life - 0901 200 270.