“My neighbor found me lying on the floor, unconscious. I was taken away by the car of the disaster center… I don't remember anything… The operation lasted more than seven hours. They returned me from the next world... But maybe death would be better than such a life?! - Ms. Leila told us before the interview began - “It was already the second operation last year that I had. First they gutted my stomach, then they opened my skull. Now I'm like this - exhausted, gutted. I can’t even lift two kilograms.”

All that's left of me is a shadow!

        Leila Gogbaidze is a single sick woman. She lives in unbearable conditions. Water from melted snow and rainwater that flows from her roof along the walls would have destroyed her house long ago if her ancestors had not built it from tufa. What would happen to Leila then? At best, she would have ended up in the street without a roof over her head, sick and hungry!

The roof is leaking, and the wiring is also dangerous!

       - Leila, first of all, I’d like to know how are you?

       Leila (54-year-old): I am neither in the other world, nor in this! This life is not life! It's worse than existence... Illness, insomnia, loneliness, hunger - all this attacks me at the same time. And the most important "rapists" are still loneliness and illness, they threaten me with death. How can I deal with them? I just regret, that I have no children... My life flew by meaninglessly. How could I imagine that I would find myself in such situation?

“Most of all I regret that I didn’t start a family and give birth to a child.”

     - What happened? Why did you find yourself in such situation? Please, tell me your story.

     Leila: I was a skillful girl full of life. I did not shun any work: I was a turner, a loader, and a laborer. I worked in the city of Tsnori in grain storage point ... I carried fifty-kilogram bags on my back. I was an orphan and had to somehow support myself. I was so strong and fearless, that my friends even called me “Maya from Tskneti”, or “boy Mate”, and a robber ... I stood up for everyone. I took care of people around me. For seven years I cared for my cousin who was bedridden, then another year for another one. I left my home and moved far away for their sake. It turned out that patient care was not so easy at all, especially if he weighed a lot. You need to lift him, move him, take him to the toilet ... This took away my health... Well, I'm not complaining, and I'm not expecting gratitude. But now, I need care myself, but I was left completely alone. Who will look after me? Who will help me? 

Leila: My dear Georgians! I love you so much! I saw a brochure about your Fund in the social canteen. I barely called you. I asked my neighbor to let me call... I never have money on my phone account. I can't afford such a luxury for the 60-lari social allowance, because this is my only income today! I saw this beautiful, warm, sweet brochure and said - this is a sign, the Lord again extended a helping hand to me. Exactly that! I'm sure He extended His holy hand to me through you... I was born on the day of the Dormition of the Mother of God - August 28th. Saint Mary is my patroness. You know, after each of the two long surgeries, I had an apparition. It was the same both times - the Mother of God dressed in black came and covered me ... When I came to my senses, tears flowed from my eyes. The doctor stood over my head and was saying something. I couldn't hear what he was saying. Then the nurse told me that he said: why are you crying, the main thing is that you survived. Where were you, in a concentration camp? You have nothing left in your stomach. Hernia, fibroma, part of the intestine - everything was removed, I don't even have a navel. Then I was operated on my head. I had flies, well, bugs before the eyes. I was writhing in unbearable pain - painkillers did not help me at all. One side of my body was completely numb, and I couldn't feel it. And these bugs constantly scratched me, they ran in flocks in my head. This nightmare continued until I lost consciousness. My neighbor found me. Disaster Center took me to the hospital, and they operated on me. Now I have such a dent in my head... I wear my hair short, and I can’t go out without a hat.

You need to be careful here, otherwise you can fall and break your leg.

Leila: Uh-uh... (Waves her hand) I know I don't have long to live. I realize that when I'm out of breath going up the stairs. I cannot bring water even in a two-liter bottle. I need control after such complex operations, do I? Analyzes, tests... 

Computer whatever it's called...  I can't sleep at night; I can't buy medications. How can I do all this for 60 GEL?! I am also concerned about the condition of my house. Look what it looks like, the roof is leaking. What will happen to me in winter? It would be hard even for a healthy person to live here, and how should a sick woman exist?

 "No one wants to come to this house"

Leila: They have a hard time themselves - how can they help me? Well, that's what they say...

Leila: When I was shivering from the cold, the mayor of Tsnori, Tamaz Mateshvili, brought me this stove. God bless him! I got enrolled in a social canteen, and it was God's mercy, created by the hands of the authorities. If I didn’t get on the list, you wouldn’t come to visit me - I would have died a long time ago... Because I can’t buy food ... Sometimes you want something, but you need to be content with what they give you in the canteen.

 “This stove for me is a stove, and an electric kettle, and a heater, but it “does not work” without firewood!”

Leila: They piped my house for gas recently. I don't have a heater or a gas stove. I don't have any home appliances at all.

 Even all the furniture fell apart and got rotten because of the roof that leaks badly. Here is my house of "former luxury"!

Leila: I can say I live in the past. The future seems dark and uncertain to me. My only hope is that kind people will appear as a bright spot, and will somehow make my life a little easier, at least for one or two days ... I will pray for them, alive and dead, before my Mother of God, my Mary ...

 “It’s my breakfast, lunch and dinner...”

     - What do you recall the most from your past? 

Leila: My mother, my Margo, she was a talented person, an honored teacher. She was so strict - oh... Just dare not to be a good daughter... I really miss every minute I lived with my mother. My mom worked in Azerbaijan, and I also spent there several years. That’s why I speak their language well. I also speak Turkish. You know, many Azeri people live here. I respect them. They also used to respect us when my mom and I lived in their country. Different nations should treat each other well and everyone should respect each other's Motherland and traditions.

Leila: I used to be afraid of loneliness and I was left alone. I’m still afraid of loneliness, I’m afraid to die alone so that in my last minutes no one will see me... No one’s tears would farewell me ... You know how much I regret of not having children?! I advise all young people to start families. But first, they should learn. And then, they must create families and give birth to many children. I found out it late - it turned out that one guy was fond of me, and another one too. But nobody dared to confess their love to me. I was so harsh - I probably got it from my mom. And now... Now I have no one to talk to! And this TV is good for nothing, sometimes you can hear nothing at all... (Waves her hand).

 “Sometimes, it is sulky with me... It gets quiet to spite me.”

       It's so hard to be alone, especially when you're sick and starving! Friends! Let's not leave this poor woman in trouble. Please, help her, at least visit her, and comfort her. She will never forget your kindness.

The address of Leila Gogbaidze is: city of Tsnori, 93 Rustaveli Str.

     You are right, Leila, the Lord has given you a sign - and our brochure has come into your hands! When people are experiencing hard moments, when they face big problems and life seems like hell to them, it is then when our friends, the faithful friends of our Fund come like angels and warm the hearts of their neighbors. And warmed hearts that are warmed begin to beat again!

***

         If you have a heavy heart because of everyday problems or unresolved issues, as a distraction just see our posts on Facebook, or better call any of our beneficiaries, and all your problems will seem unimportant to you, compared with the problems of those to whom you helped in the most difficult moment of their lives.         

       Our problems are noting if compared... Here are true misfortunes, in front of your eyes! Just thank the Lord for what you have. You are the happiest person in the world! Remember this and help those in need.

     Every time you can help someone, just do it and rejoice that God answers someone's prayers through you! We are sure that together we can warm their hearts and give them confidence in the future.

Please don’t forget to repost our story. Let your friends know about the grief of this family! It’s extremely important!

      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: The Gogbaidze family).

       You can also transfer money from our website 

     It is also possible to transfer money from 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).

       Now you can read the stories of our beneficiaries on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chernovetskyi.fund/ and Telegram: https://t.me/ChernovetskyiFund.

        Even if you dial once this special number, it might save someone's life: 0901 200 270!

         Let's believe that helping others, we take care of our own souls and draw closer to Lord through the suffering that we share with them!