Raul was only 20 days old when a high fever caused him to have severe seizures. There was no doctor in the village, and by the time they got him to the district center he got paralyzed. The devastating diagnosis was cerebral palsy (CP). His parents were shocked – they hadn’t yet recovered from a horrific tragedy: their firstborn daughter, just 1 year and 8 months old, had died of diphtheria. Imagine how hard it was for them to accept their son’s condition! For 26 years, Raul has lived with constant pain. His left leg is so twisted it can’t be straightened. Raul’s spine is severely curved, which has deformed his internal organs. Even breathing is painful for him. He cannot go without painkillers and sedatives. He’s been in a wheelchair since childhood. It has replaced his legs, as he cannot take even a few steps on his own.

“Sikoria deda,” Ketevan repeats and cries again. Then she obediently allows Matsatso to take care of her. She eats soup from a spoon and listens to the praise of how good a girl she is. Matsatso changes her diaper and takes her for a little ride in a wheelchair around the yard. And the tears keep flowing. Her right arm is immobile, and her right leg is too. Her tongue is unresponsive and sluggish. Her eyes see nothing… This is what the stroke did to Ketevan. No, this is what a state can do to a person. Look at the helpless Ketevan and be careful! This is the high price one can pay for trying to get help from the state.

Thank you countless times for deploying large-scale help! Thanks to more than two thousands of your active responses to this story, much has been accomplished for the Kantelashvili family. The support has been amazing! Thank you very much, friends, from the whole team of the Chernovetskyi Fund! Among the unresolved issues is the fact that the family does not have a bathroom. Also they do not have a heater for winter. None of us wants Alexi to go back to scrap collecting. We can avoid this by continuing to help the family. Join the ranks of the project’s regular helpers! And if you’re feeling down about household problems or unresolved issues, take a second to look at our Facebook posts. Or better yet, call any of our beneficiaries and all your problems will seem unimportant compared to the problems of the person you came to help in the most difficult moment of his life.

A young and tight-knit family. They’ve blessed Georgia with so many beautiful and healthy children, and then such a tragedy struck… Their home was destroyed by a landslide, and they found shelter wherever they could. When it rains, the whole family prays for it to stop quickly and for their beds to dry! Sleeping in a puddle is torture! And in winter, it may happen that those who slept soundly may never wake up again: they might choke or freeze to death!

“I feel neither good, nor bad. I feel nothing. My only son and husband lie motionless in the cold earth of the cemetery… and here I am within these four walls,” whispers Grandma Lamara barely audibly, wiping her dry eyes. Not a single tear has been left in 17 years – she’s cried it all out. She cries, crying from within, shrouded in darkness. She wants to die, to be near those she has lost, but death seems to avoid her, and condemns her to endless torment.

Look at this little angel, crying bitter, heartbreaking tears. Do you think she’s crying because she dropped a toy or wants candy? Oh, if only that were the case. This little girl is crying because her bottle is empty, and she’s still hungry. Yes, still hungry. But… God, it’s so hard to write these words. In fact, words aren’t even needed—these pictures say more than words ever could. This is the Manukyan family. Seven little children… Seven little angels sent to Earth by God. Seven pairs of sad, innocent eyes. Why? Why? How can this world bear so much injustice? Some people have so much that they’ve lost even the ability to find joy in it. Meanwhile, others dream of nothing more than a warm bed. Kind-hearted people, the children’s biggest dream is to finish covering the greenhouse. If these hardworking children had a functioning greenhouse, they could grow enough food not just for their family but even to sell some. The Manukyan family would have a steady income, and maybe one day, one of these children will grow up to become an entrepreneur and help other needy families. But until that day comes, we need to extend a helping hand to the Manukyan family. These angelic children will never forget your kindness. And years from now, in a world beyond this one, we will stand before the Lord, and God the Father will open the doors to His Kingdom, where we will forever rest under His grace.