Dear friends,
December-January is the brightest and most exciting time of the year, for both children and adults. It is the time of hopes and fulfillment of wishes. We have done a great job in the last month – we provided the gifts to a hundred of children, and fulfilled the wishes of 40 our little care-receivers and their families. The best reward for our efforts is the glow of joy in children’s eyes , and the words of gratitude from parents. And all this is due to you, our dear donors! Thank you for your support! The photo reports can be seen on our website and in our groups at Facebook, Instagram, Telegram.
In total, in 2021 Diakonia has helped to 112 care-receivers, the information about 50 of them has been published in the monthly letters. About EUR 220,000 have been transferred to the clinics for their treatment, and about EUR 167,000 were transferred to the clinics by German charity funds at our requests. This means that the operations have been performed, vital treatment received, lives have been saved, and important support has been provided to their families. Many thanks to all the donors and volunteers who have made this possible! I am sure that next year we can do together as much as we did.
The holiday time is over, yet the wonders keep happening throughout the year!
In January, your help is awaited by:

Martha Knyazkova, 4 y. o., Tula, Russia, heart disease. Little Martha had her first operation, that to narrow the trunk of the pulmonary artery, on the 14th day of her life. Although the operation went well, the further prognosis of Russian doctors was disappointing. The parents turned to Berlin Cardiology Center, where in 2018 Martha underwent Glenn procedure. The next phase of the operation was scheduled for April 2020, but was cancelled due to the pandemic. There was a chance to carry out this operation in November 2021 in Bonn, but that was postponed due to a strike of medical personnel. The family has been preparing for the operation and treatment for more than 3 years. Now they are already in Germany and delay of 2 months does not fit their financial plan. They require help to pay for housing and buying the medicine. This is about EUR 3,000.

‘ Alicia Petrova, 9 y. o., Korolev, Russia, epilepsy, tachycardia, heart disease. Alicia was born under the supervision of cardiologists due to an abnormal heart rhythm. Her condition was stable in the first year of life. Later, by the age of 2, the epileptic seizures began. In 2020, the girl underwent a surgery in Russia. This brought no improvement, the attacks became more frequent. The parents turned to German clinics for help. A clinic in Leipzig is ready to accept Alicia for a life-saving surgery. A Russian charity foundation helps with paying for the treatment. However, the funds are needed for travel, visas and accommodation: EUR 1,500 all together.

Vladimir Petukhov, 7 y. o., Kiev, Ukraine, epilepsy, delayed speech development. At the age of 2, Vladimir has suffered a viral encephalitis of unknown etiology. The disease has affected his brain. The child lost all previously acquired skills, he was tormented by numerous daily seizures. In October 2021, a vagus nerve stimulator has been installed. Since that, there is a positive trend. The boy is in dire need of rehabilitation, because Vladimir has suffered a rollback in development due to the epileptic seizures, and now he cannot even take care of himself. A rehabilitation course in the “Olinek” center (Poland) costs EUR 3,000.

Stepan Potapov, 3 y. o., Kursk, Russia, neuroblastoma, relapse. At the very beginning of life of this enduring and cheerful boy, a neoplasm was found in the left adrenal gland. Only after long visits to the doctors they establish the cause of the boy’s health deterioration: the problems with the pancreas, dropsy of the testicles, fever without cause, necrosis of the femoral head. Stepan underwent 6 blocks of chemotherapy, a surgery to remove the tumor, high-dose chemotherapy with bone marrow transplantation in Russia, immunotherapy at the University Hospital Cologne and proton therapy at the Essen proton center. After completing the treatment in August 2021, Stepan was in the remission, and began the life beyond a hospital. A relapse was discovered in October. It is urgent to start the treatment from very beginning. The cost of the treatment is EUR 600,000.

HURRY TO DO GOOD!
I wish health to you all! Take care of yourself and your loved ones!
I embrace you heartily,

Yours Alina Titova