Begging for life

It’s a late evening. Moscow. My kitchen. Just like everyone else, my life runs day after day. The days are the same and different at the same time. I'm a mom. My kids! My heart, my joy and my love. Rehearsals, work,frenzy, the usual buzz. Work again, work, work, work... Not that I’m complaining. Awfully tired. And my girls ask me to come up with magical fairy tales before their bedtime.
Two. No, mom, three.

Ok... Finally they fall asleep. I’m restless both in my thoughts and my heart. Not going to rest until I tell you all about what I’ve been thinking about for the last couple of days. I need your help, your advice and support. I totally understand that my problems are nothing compared to what many, many other families, mothers and children of the world are going through at this very moment. Here. There. Near and far. All over the world. That’s just life. And there is another life. 

It’s a life on the edge. Where people see and understand everything differently, where the familiar three-dimensional things fall apart and become a mountain of small things. A couple of weeks ago I was contacted by a young Ukrainian woman Lyudmila, a mother of Anastasia. Nastya is 16 years old. Rupture of brain hemorrhageaneurysm, five days in a coma, neurosurgery, another surgery... They are now in Israel and planning to be treated. Nastya and her mother need money. A lot of money! $50.000 for the entire treatment!And the initial payment is $15.000.

Lyudmila has already addressed all possible Russian charities for help, but they refused because they either do not help in cases like that, or because Lyudmila and her daughter are foreigners. They are from Ukraine, where they also got a denial. ‘We’re in a war here, people die, and you ask for help for your sick child’ was the response. Nastia's father, by the way, is not around. He could not pull himself together after what happened to his daughter when she was 9 years old.

But her mother could. She has so much courage... What else is there to do? 
We talked on the phone for a long time.

We keep in touch via email and Facebook. And every day I think aboutwhat can I do to help.

I don't have that kind of money, and all charities I know only help children with oncological diseases. There are many of those. But Nastya needs help with neurology... After going through all circles of hell in search for money for her daughter in Germany (through funds and organizations), and Israel, Lyudmila wrote: 

"You can write a book with my emails. It took me seven years to figure out the truth: if I don’t do it myself – noone’s gonna do it. Noone will say "I will help" or "take my money and helpyour daughter"... A thousands of roads must be walked to find the one you need. Why do I call for help to the people of Russia? Because you answer my emails, because you help and say you will pray for us. I know that I cannot personally thank everyone who could help, but I'm still thankful…

Dear Olga, I no longer know how to write and to whom to write to. Only the two of us know what it is. And how impossible it is to live with. Brain aneurysm rupture is atype of bleeding that occurs after bursting of a vain in the head. To save other functions, the brain paralyzes its left side. When you are 9 years old it turns your whole life around! (Both of us felt it: one during a few days in intensive care, the other one – on the stairs near it, in prayers). I know about life on the edge, between the two worlds. I know what it's like when your baby has practically no chances to survive. I certainly understand that everyone must die in their own time, nobody lives forever, but it’s better to fight for your life until the end. Especially for a child's life. Life is all I am asking for. Ludmila (Kiev)”.

*** Please, let’s try and help a mother save her child. I'm sure if you’re reading this, and have read so much of it– it is not a coincidence! People, please help! You can be just a small link in the chain, that will give hope to a small family. Any donation will change the situation. Anytime. 

I was always sure that every thread counts to make a shirt. It's true. If you have no money, you can simply send words of encouragement to this number: +972559946654 (Israel) or maybe even an e-mail: milka.meni@gmail.com.I wish you all to be healthy and happy. Stay well. I am quite confident that together we can make it happen.

Olga

The Bank of Israel:

Beneficiary  Name: Ishchuk Liudmyla
Account Number: 24010899
IBAN: IL 080090010000024010899
Beneficiary Bank Name: Israel Postal Bank
SWIFT Code: IPOAILIJ

Links
The medical documents
Original of the article on "Echo of Moscow"