The children, who have been hungry all day, are eating a piece of bread before bed. Well, calling it “eating” is an overstatement. And you can’t call it food. The children are struggling to take a bite of this stale bread. 6-year-old Emily and 5-year-old Elena are from a large, needy family. You only need to look into their eyes once, and you’ll immediately see that all they get from the state is formal help that doesn’t even provide for a basic standard of living. Emily and Elena caught colds while bathing in this Soviet-era tub during the freezing winter. They have a cough and a high fever. The children don’t even have a single pair of warm clothes. In February, they’re wearing these thin t-shirts. Oh my God, this is horrifying!

Every step Nino takes is a struggle filled with excruciating pain. Her ankles are deformed, causing her feet to twist completely when she walks. She limps severely, tires quickly, and her legs tremble and give way from the strain.  Painful calluses form on her heels, becoming infected and bleeding. Nino ,11-year-old: “My legs and knees hurt so much. I can’t even describe how painful it is! It feels like walking on a burning skillet. Sometimes, cramps seize my feet so badly that I can’t take a single step. Look at my legs—my calluses crack open, and pus and blood ooze out. I get a fever from the pain.” If we don’t help this beautiful girl get the surgery she desperately needs, she may remain disabled for life. Her family has no money for treatment.  They are barely surviving on social allowance and Nino’s disability pension.  Friends, she needs our support now more than ever!

During his frequent seizures, my little boy’s muscles tighten like a stretched string. His cries sound like a wounded bird in unbearable pain – so loud that even the neighbors hear them. Then, in despair, his mother cries too. And if you witness this unbearable anguish from the outside, you might faint from the sheer pain of it! Yoseb was born with cerebral palsy. He cannot talk, cannot walk, and cannot even turn over by himself.  He suffers from excruciating pain. The only thing that can ease his suffering is hydrotherapy in Batumi. The water relaxes his constantly tense muscles and relieves his pain. But his mother doesn’t even have a few lari for a taxi to take her beloved child 50 km to Batumi! This family has no one to turn to except us, friends! A young mother is fighting for her son’s life alone. She divorced her husband.

Gio (9 years old): “The tumor in her head is so big that she’s gone completely blind in one eye. My poor Mommy…”

Gio: “Mommy, don’t cry. Everything will be okay. You’re strong – you have to beat this for our sake! Who will take care of us if not you?”

Two tumors have taken root in Asmat’s brain, pressing against her central nervous system, slowly destroying her body. It’s like a ticking time bomb that could go off at any moment…

Asmat (36 years old): “I barely survived the biopsy. The surgeons said the tumor is in a dangerous spot. One wrong move, and I wouldn’t be here now.”

Asmat’s husband, David, had to leave his job to care for her. Now, he is her hands and her legs. Since the paralysis set in, she can’t stand or walk on her own.

Lali, mother (22 years old): Please, dear (she turns to the correspondent, her voice filled with sorrow), please say this so that other mothers can hear me: My heart breaks when I see my child – my own flesh and blood – suffering! I would give her my own legs if I only knew such surgeries were possible! But one doctor said that abroad, they can perform operations like this. Her feet are deformed and don’t bend properly. Her legs are so thin and fragile that her bones crack with every step— her mother is terrified they will break. Without your help, Anna-Maria won’t make it! Please extend a helping hand and give this little girl a chance at a normal life!

This is six-year-old Liliana. She was born completely healthy, and her single mother adored her.  Even though they struggled financially, their home was filled with joy because Liliana was healthy. Health is the greatest wealth in life.

On her fourth birthday, despite their hardships, her mother managed to buy ingredients for a homemade cake.  That evening, a happy Liliana blew out her candles. She welcomed her fourth year with excitement, never knowing that it would also bring devastation to her family.

One morning, Liliana woke up with a high fever. She was shaking, her throat hurt, and she was so weak she couldn’t even get out of bed. “Oh, it must be that awful virus,” her mother thought, and rushed to the pharmacy with the few coins she had. But who could have imagined that this “awful virus” would turn Liliana’s life into a living nightmare? The angelic little girl developed uncontrollable epilepsy.

Mariam’s scoliosis is pressing harder and harder on her lungs each day – sometimes completely cutting off her oxygen supply. The pain she endures is unbearable. She can’t sleep, she can’t stand up, she can’t even turn over in bed. 

Her ribcage is becoming more deformed with each passing day, and no painkillers can ease her suffering anymore. Her parents are praying on their knees for just one thing: to get her abroad for the surgery that could save her life. But where can a nearly destitute family find such a huge amount of money? If we waste any time, it will be too late. 

Lika, mother (37 years old): “I’ve been carrying my daughter in my arms for 18 years, and I will carry her for as long as I live… but I’m running out of strength.

She is 18 now – the best years of a girl’s life. Sometimes dark thoughts creep into my mind, making me wonder if God has forgotten some of us. But I immediately pray, because I know thinking that way is a terrible sin. I believe that in moments like these, God gives us all a chance – to defeat the devil through kindness and compassion!

Mariam was born with microcephaly—her skull developed abnormally, leaving no room for her brain to grow. 

Dear friends – meet Grandma Butsa – a 90-year-old Georgian woman, kind-hearted and proud as ever! She is so sweet! She has spent her long life caring for countless people in Georgia, giving her warmth and kindness without ever asking for anything in return. But now, as the sun sets on her life, she wonders if it will rise for her tomorrow… And today, she dreams of a bowl of meat soup—it even came to her in a dream last night. 

She was born before the Second World War. Despite the hardships, she had a happy childhood. In 1935, there were no phones, no tablets, no fancy clothes. People read books by candlelight, knitted, and gathered in the evenings to cook and share meals together. Life was difficult, but love, warmth, and kindness filled every home. This is the world in which Butsa grew up.

As a young girl, she dreamed of having a big family. Do you know how she imagined her old age? Sitting by the fireplace, with her grandchildren climbing onto her lap, running her fingers through their tangled hair after playing outside. She would tell them Georgian fairy tales – her voice getting softer and softer as their little eyes started to close. And one by one, she would carry them to bed, tuck them under a warm blanket, and kiss them goodnight.

But nearly a century has passed, and that dream never came true. Grandma Butsa has no children, no grandchildren. 

One look into her eyes is enough to make your whole body tremble. It is a gaze that chills the blood. The last time she ate was two days ago. Today, all she had was a piece of bread. Instead of milk, she drank water. God, this is worse than a nightmare! A child, weakened by cold and hunger, no longer even has the strength to cry.

Exhausted, she couldn’t stand any longer, so she rested her head on her mother’s shoulder and wiped her bitter tears on her mother’s faded sweater. Look at the pain in the mother’s eyes. This is not just physical suffering – it is a wound deep in her soul.

This is 28-year-old Medea. A young woman who is already a mother of two. And now, God has sent her a third angel from heaven. A child is the greatest gift from God. Yes, Medea is four months pregnant.

Elza’s life is nothing but suffering.  She was born with a severe form of scoliosis. Her spine is so badly twisted that the constant pain makes her vision go dark, crushes her lungs, and leaves her gasping for air.

A massive hump on her back makes it difficult to sleep, breathe, or walk.

Elza (41 years old): “I can’t take this pain anymore. I didn’t sleep a single minute last night! What did I do to deserve this suffering since birth? Why is God punishing me like this?”

Despite her condition, Elza sleeps on an old, collapsing couch. All night long, she moans in agony. Painkillers don’t help, and she can’t afford to see a doctor.  Her only income is a disability allowance and her mother’s small pension. But it’s nowhere near enough for treatment.

Elza: “If I don’t take my medication on time, I could die. But at this point, I’m not even afraid of hell after death—because I’m already living in it!”

As if her spinal disease weren’t enough, Elza also has diabetes. She’s run out of test strips to monitor her blood sugar, and she has no money for medicine. Just a few days ago, she collapsed and was unconscious for a long time. You know what that means. Her biggest fear is slipping into a coma and never waking up again.

Every day, Asmik endures painful procedures and medication.  She has never known what it’s like to wake up and simply enjoy a new day without suffering. She is eight years old, yet she still wears diapers.

Marina, mother (32-year-old): “When my daughter was seven months old, I noticed she couldn’t sit up or hold her head. After medical tests, the doctors gave me devastating news—she had severe brain damage.  One side of her brain doesn’t function at all, and the other, they said, works at only 20 percent. Why has my little angel met such a sad fate?”

She can’t walk or talk. Asmik cannot even eat on her own. God, this little angel suffers so much!

Marina: “Every meal ends in tears because my daughter cannot chew solid food. And I don’t even have a blender to make her soups and purées.”

Asmik’s tiny body is constantly tense, as if high-voltage electricity is running through her muscles.  She cannot relax – not for a single moment.  The pain is unbearable. She screams in agony, and the entire village can hear her cries.

After his stroke, Tariel is completely helpless. His right arm is paralyzed, and later, due to gangrene, his leg had to be amputated. For him, every day is a fight for survival. For his family, it’s a constant battle with fear, uncertainty, and the pain of being unable to help.

Aluna, Tariel’s spouse (49-year-old): “My husband and I are raising three children with disabilities.  Our daughters were born with intracranial pressure; they have brain damage. They can’t do anything on their own—I take care of everything: I dress them, feed them, bathe them, brush their teeth. And I’ve been doing this for 17 years.  What wouldn’t a mother do for her children? My husband used to help, but now he needs care himself. His heart couldn’t bear the pain of watching his daughters suffer.”

Aluna: “The children need medicine to improve their brain circulation, but I haven’t been able to buy any for a year and a half because we have no money. I can’t go to work – who would I leave my sick children and husband with?”

The poor man spends his days in an old wheelchair, which is falling apart. Just look at it – the wheels don’t even have tires. Every little bump causes him unbearable pain. Friends, Tariel urgently needs a proper wheelchair! But there’s no money to buy one.

It’s been a whole year since Tariel last left the second floor of their home! The last time he needed to go to the hospital, they had to call emergency rescuers just to carry him out of the house. Can you even imagine that?

Oh God, how much suffering Merab’s mother has endured for 12 years! I can’t even put her pain into words.  But both she and her son share the same dream! And Turkish doctors have promised to ease both her suffering and Merab’s.

Merab is growing up like any other child, but soon, his mother will no longer be able to carry him outside so he can at least see and talk to other children. He cannot take a single step on his own.

Merab (12 years old): “My legs hurt so much. So, so much. The pills don’t help! And my parents don’t have money to take me to Turkey for treatment. Otherwise, I would never ask my mother to bother other people! Please, help her and help me! Please, help! I dream of standing up and at least walking quietly with my friends… Otherwise, I will spend the rest of my life watching others play from my window. I just want to live! ”

When Merab’s mother was pregnant, doctors said his brain was damaged and that he wouldn’t survive. But despite all the terrible predictions, he survived. It is truly a miracle from God!

When a mother loses her child, her heart dies with them. Her life comes to an end, and only prayers to the Almighty keep her on this Earth—prayers filled with the desperate hope that the Lord will return her beloved child and let her hold them close once again. And this time—forever!

For millennia, humanity has failed to invent a word that could fully capture the pain of a mother whose child has passed away.

73-year-old Mzia, a kind and warm-hearted woman, lost her son and then both of her grandsons. The stress and grief took a cruel toll on her body – colon cancer crept up on the poor elderly woman. Tragedy never comes alone!

This is 73-year-old grandmother Mzia. She has been diagnosed with rectal cancer. Her intestines are exposed, protruding painfully from her body.

The elderly woman suffers from excruciating pain every day. With her own hands, she treats her wound, wiping away the fluids that constantly seep from it. She doesn’t even have a single extra tetri to buy special wound-cleaning solution or medical dressings. She has almost given up hope, fearing that without proper bandages and medication, she will inevitably die from a severe infection and sepsis.

Just look at these poor brothers. There is so much sadness in their kind eyes… At first, they were shy when they saw a stranger—the Fund’s correspondent. But then, perhaps, their little hearts sensed that this “strange lady” had come to tell their story to all of Georgia.

And so, every day in the Merabishvili family begins and ends the same way. For “lunch,” there is only bread and tea. And sometimes… juice. That happens when their father’s “” daily income is high and reaches 15 GEL. That’s about five dollars. Imagine, my friends, a man who carries heavy sacks all day just to earn five dollars—enough to bring home bread for his children, half a kilo of pasta, and, on rare occasions, some juice or a cheap candy to make them smile.

Instead of porridge, this poor father gives his hungry child tea. At 40 years old, this young man is broken inside. He has already undergone two surgeries on his leg due to blood clots. He still needs medicine and medical care, but this heroic father cannot afford to spend a single lari on himself. Every last coin goes toward diapers for two-year-old David.

This little angel is six-year-old Nita. When she was born and first opened her eyes, their deep sea-blue color mesmerized everyone. They shimmered like summer waves at dawn. But fate was cruel. Soon, her family received devastating news

Nita was diagnosed with congenital optic nerve atrophy. Her vision is nearly nonexistent: 0.02% in one eye and 0.04% in the other. My God, this is worse than a nightmare. Lacking the money for proper treatment, her poor family could not afford surgery. Had this angelic girl been born into a wealthy family, she would have been sent abroad for treatment without delay. But Nita was not so lucky—her family simply cannot afford it.

They don’t even have a home of their own; they live temporarily in someone else’s house. But they are honest, hardworking people who earn their bread with dignity – and they are raising their children the same way. Honesty is rare these days, but Nita’s parents hold onto it firmly.

The real tragedy is that Nita cannot see at all in daylight. The sun makes her eyes water constantly, and she can’t even open them – let alone see anything. It is pure torture.

Little Slavik is crying from hunger. His sobs are so desperate, it feels like he might stop breathing at any moment. Their poor mother has no money for food. That means that until their next social allowance payment, the only thing left to eat will be stale bread.

Diana was left alone with three small children after her husband left the family. He doesn’t even ask if his kids are alive or how they’re doing.

Diana’s own mother abandoned her, leaving her in an orphanage as a baby. No one deserves this fate. Thank God for the kind woman who adopted her. But even she passed away a few years ago. Now, Diana has no family left in this world.

There is no heating in the house, so the children are constantly freezing and getting sick. Vasya was just discharged from the hospital after recovering from pneumonia, and now he’s sick again.  Where is this desperate mother supposed to find money for medicine when she’s barely surviving on social allowance with her little angels?

For Liana, every day is a battle for life. Every movement is painful – physically and emotionally – but she refuses to give up. Her nightmare began the moment she felt a small lump in her breast. The diagnosis was devastating – stage four cancer.

Liana, 59: “I’ve been hospitalized so many times. I’ve had countless IVs and injections.  On top of that, I survived sepsis – a blood infection that nearly killed me. But I made it through. Still, I’m left with an unpaid bill – 700 lari for my treatment in intensive care. I have no idea how to pay it off. I also need follow-up tests, but I simply can’t afford them. I spent 30 years working as a dog trainer, but now I have no strength left. My only hope is your Fund and the kindness of strangers.”

Liana is wasting away before our eyes… She can barely bring herself to look in the mirror.

She has already undergone ten sessions of radiation therapy. But her tumor is so aggressive that the cancer has spread to her bones and brain. 

With each passing day, her condition worsens. Every minute counts. She suffers from unbearable pain and extreme weakness. 

She can hardly get out of bed. Severe dizziness makes it impossible for her to walk without assistance. For almost three months, she hasn’t seen the sun. 

David spent only five months in his mother’s womb… When he was born, he weighed just 500 grams. Doctors told his devastated mother that he had almost no chance of survival. 

But God worked a miracle, he saved this little boy’s life

Weeks, months, and years passed. David grew, and his face radiated kindness. One look at him, and you would know—this child was saved by the hand of God and the Virgin Mary. But the consequences of his premature birth took their toll—he couldn’t walk. The tendons in both his legs were so tight that he couldn’t even bend his knees. 

For six years, this poor child writhed in pain on the floor, suffering unbearable agony

Recently, the Ministry of Health of Adjara fully paid for the child’s expensive surgery. A few days ago, the boy returned to his homeland. But now the child needs rehabilitation.

Nanuli witnessed her 21-year-old son’s funeral with her own eyes. From that moment on, her life turned into a living nightmare. The endless sorrow and stress led to a stroke, which proved devastating for her. Being bedridden, unable to move – such unimaginable suffering is something we wouldn’t wish upon even an enemy.

Nine-year-old Nikoloz gently feeds his bedridden grandmother. The child himself is hungry, but he cannot bring himself to eat the last piece of bread—he gives it to her instead.

Years ago, Nanuli suffered a severe stroke. Her left side was completely paralyzed, and she had difficulty speaking. It seemed that these unbearable hardships gave Grandma Nanuli strength, and after some time, she was able to get out of bed. However, she still couldn’t move around on her own. And just when the unfortunate woman found a spark of hope that, with time, she might walk again, life, with a malicious laugh, devised a new cruel plan to make her suffering even worse.

Poor, poor David… He is 46, yet like an infant – he cannot talk, cannot walk. He only crawls across the floor, dragging his unresponsive legs behind him. And he screams constantly from unbearable pain. He suffers terrifying epileptic seizures, several times a day. His brain is severely damaged. He no longer recognizes his own mother and father.

A stroke has left him completely helpless. His parents have become his hands and feet.

Avtandil (69 years old): “When my wife and I were younger, we carried him in our arms. But now we can barely walk ourselves and can’t lift heavy things. If something happens to us… who will take care of him?”

Avtandil is a grieving father, 69 years old, who has lost sight in one eye due to a damaged retina.  His other eye is clouded by cataracts. His health deteriorates by the day. Yet he cannot even afford basic eye drops.

David urgently needs medication. Without it, he will not survive.  But his elderly parents survive on a meager pension and cannot afford the life-saving treatment their son needs.

Avtandil: “Any help, no matter how small, would mean the world to us. We are grateful to anyone who hears our plea.”

Niko has spent his whole life working tirelessly, using every cent to support his children and care for his ailing father, who is disabled. Then, one fateful day, his world collapsed. Step by step, his ability to move faded. Breathing became a struggle. His heart, after just two steps, felt as if it would explode from his chest. How many times have strangers had to bring him back from the brink of death?

Once full of energy, he can no longer even rise from the couch on his own.  His heart is twice the size it should be.
You, dear reader, surely know what that means… A ticking time bomb inside his body. He can barely breathe. He’s suffocating. And his family—too poor to afford even an oxygen machine.

Nikoloz (38 years old): “I was a craftsman, but now I can’t do anything at all.  I need a heart transplant to survive—but that costs a fortune. I’m clinging to hope, kind-hearted people… maybe someone, somewhere, can help me at least with medications.”

Lord, he’s such a cute and sweet baby… Please don’t let him die! At this very moment, little Demetre is battling for his life in an intensive care unit in a Turkish hospital. He is on a ventilator, fighting to survive. His only chance to live depends on whether kind people step forward to help fund his life-saving treatment.

Nato, Demetre’s mother (31 years old): “Demetre is 1 year and 8 months old.  He sleeps all the time… He doesn’t even have the strength to cry. Doctors said it was a rare complication from a routine vaccination – a reaction so rare that it happens to only a few children out of a million. In Georgia, they couldn’t determine the exact diagnosis. So we didn’t waste time and took him to Turkey immediately.  Right now, we have exhausted all our financial resources. Our only hope is for kind people to help save our boy.”

Doctors have confirmed that Demetre’s brain is damaged. Worse still, one of his lungs has failed, forcing them to put him on a ventilator immediately. 

The cruel hand of death took away Salome and Luka’s beloved mother forever. The poor woman lost her battle with cancer. After their mother’s death, the bright eyes of the siblings dimmed. The smile disappeared from the kind eyes of these angels. And immeasurable sorrow took root in their hearts. The souls of these children ache, their very souls… But humanity has not yet found a cure to heal such pain, and perhaps nothing ever will.

Having lost his mother, 11-year-old Luka tries to help his sister with the housework. The child sweeps the yard in a thin sweater in the freezing winter cold because he has no warm clothes. His little body trembles from the cold, but the fire in his heart burns bright. Only an orphaned child can truly understand the unbearable pain of losing a mother.

After their mother’s death, 13-year-old Salome prepares dinner for her brother. Salome was only 10 years old when she saw her beloved mother’s lifeless body. Even an adult would struggle to endure such a horrific scene. Now imagine a 10-year-old girl witnessing her mother being buried with her own eyes. Oh God, oh God, how did this little angel’s heart endure such horror?

Imagine a strong, healthy man suddenly losing his strength, rapidly losing weight, and becoming weaker before your eyes. Irakli suffered from excruciating headaches that sometimes caused him to lose consciousness. Medical examinations brought devastating news—a malignant brain tumor, medulloblastoma.

Doctors removed a massive tumor from his brain, one that was draining life out of him. The surgery was successful. After that, he endured 28 rounds of radiation therapy. And just when it seemed that the worst was behind him, the disease-stricken young man was dealt another blow! The cancer had spread to his bones. Now, it is slowly consuming his body from the inside! What does this mean? It means the nightmare has returned, and everything must start over again.

Irakli (31 years old): “I can’t sit or lie down. My legs, lower back, spine, and shoulders are in constant pain! The pain is driving me insane! The painkillers only work for a couple of hours, and I sometimes need up to six injections a day.  I can’t sleep at night. How much longer can I endure this?”

The constant pain and tension have caused his blood pressure to rise. His condition worsens with each passing day.

How long can children survive on just bread and water? This terrifying question haunts the mother of two-year-old Ilya and five-year-old Gio.  Friends, our beneficiaries from the village of Baisubani in the Lagodekhi Municipality live in extreme poverty barely surviving.  Aza is raising her two little sons alone. Their father provides neither financial support nor emotional warmth. The family’s social allowance isn’t even enough for food, so Aza has to buy groceries on credit. The debt has already reached 800 GEL, and she has no way to pay it off.

Aza, mother (29 years old): “Gio has a hernia.  He often suffers from severe pain in his lower abdomen, crying, and I can’t soothe him.  The worst part is that I have no money to take him to a doctor or buy him medicine. I don’t know what to do.”

Aza: “Gio is my biggest helper, and it hurts even to think that something might happen to him. Please help us get him examined!”

Just imagine the nightmare that this child and his mother are going through right now. With your support, their suffering could soon end! Don’t put off doing good—help Gio today!

His name is Duda, and he is only four years old. He and his mother live in a field near the village of Vanta, in a small, hut surrounded by forest. Yes, you heard that right – this little boy is growing up in complete isolation, with no one around but farm animals. But what’s even worse is that his life is constantly in danger—wild animals could emerge from the forest at any moment, and… well, you can imagine the rest. In this abandoned and terrifying place, the boy lives with his mother, who is a second-degree disabled person. Nino, 39, is a single mother. At 16, she was in a terrible accident that left her disabled for life. She cannot walk without a cane. Her legs are deformed, and even with a cane, every step is a struggle. Yet, despite her severe health problems, she is raising her son alone.

The twins’ mother had a difficult pregnancy, as she was diagnosed with hydronephrosis (a kidney condition). At seven months pregnant, the young woman underwent a complex surgery, during which a stent was placed in her kidney. A needy woman from Akhaltsikhe came to one of the clinics in Tbilisi with money she had barely managed to save. Doctors warned that, due to the stent, the delivery had to be by C-section, as natural birth could be life-threatening for the babies.

But the poor mother could not afford to stay at the clinic under medical supervision until delivery. And do you know why? Because of wretched poverty. She had no choice but to return to Akhaltsikhe. And that’s when hell began—for both the mother and the poor twins.

A doctor in one of Akhaltsikhe’s clinics decided that a woman with a kidney stent could give birth naturally to two children. You can probably guess the rest… Yes, due to the difficult delivery, the babies suffered from asphyxia. Their brains were damaged. That irresponsible doctor slept peacefully at home that night. The next day, he dared to say to the grieving mother: “Why are you crying? Your children were born sick. Why do you even need such children?” Yes, those were the very words of the doctor responsible for their lives and health.

Every day is a fight for survival for Kristine and her little daughter, Lile! And today, they desperately need your support!  The mother has cancer—her toxic goiter turned into a malignant tumor, but she has no money for medical tests or treatment. Not a single tetri!

Every story of fighting cancer is a story of strength, resilience, and the will to live—of immense faith. Faith that kind people won’t let her die!

Kristine (39 years old): “I am in excruciating pain. It’s unbearable. There are moments when I think about ending it all because I just can’t take it anymore. But then I remember—I am a mother. I have to live for the sake of my child!  She has no one but me! Who will take care of Lile if I’m gone?! We lived in Germany as refugees. After we were deported, we were left with nothing—no home, no money, no documents. My daughter’s passport was lost at the airport. When we returned to Georgia, we had to live on the streets for several days. We had no money for a hotel, so we slept near 24-hour ATMs. That was the hardest ordeal of my life!”

Sofiko is raising three children alone after her divorce. She cannot save enough money to fix the holes in the ceiling.
Her children survive on social allowance, but it’s not even enough for food. Their only hope is you, kind-hearted people!

Sofiko, 44 years old (Mother): “I don’t even know what to worry about more—the fact that our house is falling apart or that my children’s health is getting worse. If the roof isn’t repaired, my children will be left homeless. But if I can’t take care of their health and something happens to them… then what’s the point of having a house at all?”

The children, who have been hungry all day, are eating a piece of bread before bed. Well, calling it “eating” is an overstatement. And you can’t call it food. The children are struggling to take a bite of this stale bread. 6-year-old Emily and 5-year-old Elena are from a large, needy family. You only need to look into their eyes once, and you’ll immediately see that all they get from the state is formal help that doesn’t even provide for a basic standard of living. Emily and Elena caught colds while bathing in this Soviet-era tub during the freezing winter. They have a cough and a high fever. The children don’t even have a single pair of warm clothes. In February, they’re wearing these thin t-shirts. Oh my God, this is horrifying!

Every step Nino takes is a struggle filled with excruciating pain. Her ankles are deformed, causing her feet to twist completely when she walks. She limps severely, tires quickly, and her legs tremble and give way from the strain.  Painful calluses form on her heels, becoming infected and bleeding. Nino ,11-year-old: “My legs and knees hurt so much. I can’t even describe how painful it is! It feels like walking on a burning skillet. Sometimes, cramps seize my feet so badly that I can’t take a single step. Look at my legs—my calluses crack open, and pus and blood ooze out. I get a fever from the pain.” If we don’t help this beautiful girl get the surgery she desperately needs, she may remain disabled for life. Her family has no money for treatment.  They are barely surviving on social allowance and Nino’s disability pension.  Friends, she needs our support now more than ever!

During his frequent seizures, my little boy’s muscles tighten like a stretched string. His cries sound like a wounded bird in unbearable pain – so loud that even the neighbors hear them. Then, in despair, his mother cries too. And if you witness this unbearable anguish from the outside, you might faint from the sheer pain of it! Yoseb was born with cerebral palsy. He cannot talk, cannot walk, and cannot even turn over by himself.  He suffers from excruciating pain. The only thing that can ease his suffering is hydrotherapy in Batumi. The water relaxes his constantly tense muscles and relieves his pain. But his mother doesn’t even have a few lari for a taxi to take her beloved child 50 km to Batumi! This family has no one to turn to except us, friends! A young mother is fighting for her son’s life alone. She divorced her husband.