Dear friends, happy summer to you! Summers are connected to our childhood, exploration, the sea, the feelings of joy and freedom. Let us then be joyful and free! And let us pass these feelings unto the people around us. Thank you for your help!

From the May records of our coordinators of local Diakonia groups:

Berlin, translated for Anastasija P. (Epidermolysis bullosa, butterfly child), helped with the move to a new flat and accompanied her to the airport. Also translated for Nadizhat G. with the same diagnosis.

Cologne, accompanied Eldar E., ICP, to the clinic for an inspection by the orthopaedic surgeon, helped with the translation. Searched for a place to live in and held a discussion and a correspondence with the clinic for our new children – the family of Ruslana S. from Ufa, 9 years, diagnosis – laryngostenosis. The discussions continue. Expecting the family on the 5th of June.

We continue to support the family of Daniil B, cancer, who is approaching his last antibodies treatment after which he will have a break as well as regular checkups. Thanks to the help of Bonn volunteers Daniil regularly practises German. The Diakonia helped the family materially a lot this month – a huge thank you to all! In the shared accommodation of the clinic remains Elisaveta K. with her parents, relapsing Neuroblastoma, the family is constantly looked after by Father Alexandr and matron Elisaveta. Dima Sh. returned for an oncology inspection with his parents, we met them at the clinic, helped a little with the translation, we hope that they will soon be released with good results. Vlad S. has completed his chemo therapy in Izhevsk, preparing for an operation now, we are in contact with his mum…

In June our help is needed by:

>Anastasia Dubogryzova, 2 years, Blagoveshchensk, cancer. At just seven months old the little Anastasia was given a terrible diagnosis – cancer. After a few courses of chemo therapy in Russia the prospects for the little girl looked terrible – the doctors didn’t see any other option but to do an operation, which would remove multiple organs and probably completely harm the functioning of the system. Her mother was not able to accept that her child didn’t have a chance to live a normal, fulfilled life and started asking for help from German doctors. In 2016 Anastasia went through two courses of chemo therapy at the university clinic of Freiburg. The child was led into a remission and was able to fly home in June. But a relapse happened. She went through another two courses of chemo therapy in Freiburg as well as courses of deep hyperthermia. The tumour reacted well to the therapy and started to diminish. But at some point the money ran out… Another course of hyperthermia was supposed to start in mid May, however the parents weren’t able to pay it on time and it was postponed, until it became too late. The blood indicators became suddenly a lot worse and on the 24th of May the doctors took the decision to do an immediate operation. Anastasia urgently needs money. The treatment at the German clinic is evaluated at EUR 62,765. EUR 15,000 of that sum are provided by the foundation “Ein Herz für Kinder”. All that is left to be collected is EUR 45,000 .

Tatiana Ovsyannikova35 years old, form the Belarus city of Borisov, craniopharingioma. Tatiana suffers from her condition since she has been 9 years old. During her lifetime she has endured 12 brain operations. The last two operations were done in January and February 2017 in Duisburg, Germany. Before them the tumour in Tatiana’s head was the size of an orange and the lady was on the doorstep of death- she couldn’t eat, or talk, or sit. Hardly anyone believed that she could be saved. However, miraculously a family was found which payed for the operations in Germany. Now Tatiana is able to move by herself and eat. She enjoys socialising, she retained a great sense of humour and with her belief in life she inspires the people around her. The German doctors insist upon a proton therapy, which, without damaging the healthy parts of her brain, would stop the progressing tumour. There is no such therapy option in Belarus. The tumour grows bigger and bigger, moving aside the right eye. Tatiana can’t see anything. She doesn’t have parents, the person tending after her is a young man, who has a first- category blindness himself. Tatiana really needs help. The sum put forward by the German clinic is EUR 18.150.

Danil Lihodienko, 5 years old, city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur, ICP, epilepsy, spastic tetraparesis. Danil’s problems started at the birth centre, where he was born prematurely, waited for a week for a place in the reanimation centre, and only on the seventh day was connected to a medical ventilator. The brain suffered a lot because of this. As a result, the child developed epilepsy. Danil lost all of his abilities, stopped turning around as frequently, forgot how to sit with a support, stopped crawling. A long battle against epilepsy followed, as well as an operation on the brain. In 2015 there was a dislocation of the hip joint. In order to bring the child back upon his feet, the mother, who is raising two children on her own, left work. For an operation and treatment of the hip joint at the city of Schwarzenbruck in Germany they need 46.000 euros, including up to 10.000 euros on supporting costs.

I would like to remind you about an important event of this year – The Day of the Orthodox Volunteer, taking place in Berlin on the 30.6-2.7. If you happen to be in Berlin on the above dates, do come to our opening day and charity concert and vernissage at the Russian House on Friedrichstraße, on the 30th of June at 6pm! All welcome! You can find out more on our website: www.orthodiakonia.de

HURRY TO DO GOOD!

Warm hugs,

yours Alina Titova

PRAYER LIST FOR JUNE:

For the health of:
infants Ilya, Elizabeth, Elena, Marianne, Nicholas, Sofia, Sofia, Angelina, Alexandra, Elizabeth, Elizabeth, Elena
children Anastasia, Fotinia, Evgenya, Inna, Vladimir, Mark, Roman, Maxim,Ariadne, Daniil, Andrey, Dmity, Eldar (privately), Lauma (privately),
Yulia, Aglaida, Daniil, archpriest Sergy, archpriest Vasily, Veronica, Daniil, Vladislav, Daniil, Yulia, Nina, Tatyana

For the health of our volunteers and for God’s help in their every good deed:

Elena, Larissa, Anna, Valentina, Xenia, Amalia, Olga, Kristina, Larissa, Elena, Larissa, Maria, Olga, Marina, Olga, Larissa, Anna, Elena, Lyudmila, Elena, Alla, Irina, Vera, Irina, Ekatherina, Fonitia, Evgeny, Irina, Ekatherina, Xenia, Andrey, Ekatherina, Anna, Irina, Ekatherina, Alla, Andrey, Xenia, Anton, Sergiy, Alexandra, Maria, Fotinia, Tatiana, Olga, Anastasia, Irina, Maria, Angelina, Sergiy, Alexandra, Galina, Yuli, Anton, Nicolai, Elena, Evgenya, Elena, Marina, Marina, Margarita, Daniil, priest Aleksy, priest Victor, priest Evgeny.

Also remember to pray for their relatives!