73-year-old Nelly Fedorivna from Vugledar, eastern Ukraine, felt totally devastated and hopeless due to the life storms that stroke her life in the last couple of years.

After the war started in the region four years ago, Nelly was diagnosed with a very severe form of Diabetes. Nelly’s doctor told her, “You have a very grave form of diabetes! If you do not start taking all the prescribed medicines, there will be very grave consequences”. Unfortunately, she couldn’t afford the medicines she needed and the consequences came right away. Her small pension was hardly covering  the cheapest painkillers and the bills for heating. The woman’s poor treatment resulted in kidney problems requiring a surgery. After Nelly finally had the needed surgery in May 2018, she got pneumonia as a complication. Nelly’s health problems kept growing.

There are no health insurance programs in Ukraine.

“When my doctor gave me my first prescription and I went to the pharmacy to buy it, I was shocked when I heard how much it cost! Of course I got into debt. I called everyone I knew and asked anyone to borrow me as much as they could. That is how I was able to pay for my treatment amounting to 40,000 UAH (about 1,500 USD). It’s been 5 months since I finished my treatment and I am slowly recovering. However, I’m still under stress because of the debt I have to pay out somehow and this influences my blood sugar too! The best thing in my life was volunteer Lena who gave me a hope for the best. Do you know how important it is to feel needed?”

A few months ago, volunteer Olena Brekhova came to visit Nelly Fedorivna and brought her a food bags provided by CBN-Emmanuel.  Luckily, Nelly became a beneficiary of one of the projects organized by “Pope for Ukraine” Initiative and she received 2470 UAH of financial assistance.

Meeting with local missionaries changed Nelly’s life for better. The woman opened up, became more cheerful, started attending the local church and found new friends there.

People living in the war zone in eastern Ukraine are immensely  grateful to “Pope for Ukraine” Initiative for providing the financial assistance and feeling needed and cared for!