Little Nikoloz weeps, heartbroken, because his gravely ill father was sent home from the hospital simply because the family could no longer pay. Oh God, what a tragedy! Forty-nine-year-old Guram, a father of two, has been diagnosed with liver cirrhosis. His stomach is entirely filled with fluid, and the poor man can’t even move in bed, let alone stand or walk. Tears of life’s injustice fill the eyes of the man who was discharged from the clinic due to a lack of money. But he tries to hide them from his children. Ten-year-old Nikoloz and thirteen-year-old Andria stand by their father’s bedside, gently caressing him with their little hands. The poor children don’t know how to ease their father’s excruciating pain. Look at this poor man’s tears. He can no longer endure the pain, the dreadful disease, and, most of all, life’s injustice. The poor father simply cannot endure it any longer. Guram urgently needs a liver transplant; otherwise, the children… Oh God, how hard it is to say these words. Yes… Otherwise, these little angels will become orphans.

The Janelidze family was graced with two kind and wonderful boys. Their mother, Eliza, was overjoyed beyond words. And their father, Geronti, would proudly say to everyone, “I am raising two brave sons for my homeland.” Indeed, as the years went by, the boys grew more handsome and, most importantly, were known throughout the Abasha district as well-mannered and kind-hearted brothers. Most people held this loving family in high regard. But envy is a cruel thing—there were those who begrudged the couple’s boundless love and happiness. That envy bore bitter fruit. It is heartbreaking to write these words: neither of those young men is alive today. Gangrene and liver cirrhosis, two merciless diseases, claimed their lives. Since then, every day for their devastated parents has been a living hell. Their poor mother clings to old photographs of her children, and her heart feels like it is being torn in two. No one can truly understand the fiery agony consuming her heart. Eliza’s soul aches in ways only a mother who has lost her children could comprehend. No one else…

A veteran of the Abkhazian war breaks his last piece of dry bread in half. Robert Jakhia was wounded four times in the Abkhazian war. He never feared death—he was ready to give his life for his country. Today, this forgotten hero lives in ruins. Years ago, Robert was hit by a car,  leaving him with a damaged spine that required surgery. He has also undergone two hernia surgeries. He’s deaf in his left ear and blind in his left eye due to a wartime injury.

By some twist of fate, we, dear friends, have become the closest people to this lonely couple. There’s no one else they can rely on but us. Dali and Akaki, both gravely ill, have no home, no medicine, and no food.  Everything they once had was sold to pay for medical treatment.  They have to move from one place to another just to avoid paying rent. Dali (60 years old): “If not for our neighbors, we wouldn’t be here anymore. We would have died of hunger or cold. The kindest woman, Tea, shares her bread and firewood with us. And she has a family of her own; she’s a mother of many children. We’re so grateful to her. May God bless her! We don’t have children of our own—there’s no one else to take care of us.”  How much pain and hardship can a person endure?

Mirian was 35 years old when, on that fateful evening, a car struck him as he stood on the sidewalk. The driver lost control, and the blood of an innocent young man was spilled. Mirian suffered injuries that were deemed incompatible with life. His head injuries were so severe that doctors gave him less than a one percent chance of survival. He had multiple skull fractures, and you can probably imagine what that means. Mirian spent three months in a coma. The first surgery was performed in Moscow, but his condition only worsened afterward. Following the unsuccessful surgery, Mirian was transported to Georgia by a mobile resuscitation vehicle. In total, the poor young man underwent four brain surgeries. And throughout all this time, he felt nothing, perceived nothing, and was barely distinguishable from the dead—except that he was breathing. But Mirian’s heroic mother refused to give up. This poor woman achieved the impossible for her son. Indeed, after the fourth brain surgery, with God’s help, Mirian emerged from his critical condition, and for the first time, he had a real chance of survival.

As soon as Khatia saw the Fund’s correspondent at her door, she couldn’t hold back her tears and cried out: “I want to get out of bed! Please, help me! Help me!  I will pray for you on my knees every day!” Dear friends, you need to understand—Khatia has been bedridden for over a year, unable to leave her home. Her elderly parents don’t have the strength to lift her and transfer her into a wheelchair. The family’s expenses have skyrocketed: daily care for a bedridden person, prevention of bedsores, diapers, pads, ointments… It’s a situation impossible to manage without outside help.