During our visit to Krasnohorivka aimed at monitoring our winterization project, we had many emotional conversations with the locals.

The story of these two elderly women impressed us the most. Natalya who met us at the door looks much older than her real age. Her grave disease distorted the woman’s appearance. She can hardly move around the house with sticks.

Her disease requires constant use of hormonal drugs, and this in turn, absorbs calcium from the bone tissueand destroys the joints. As we started talking to Natalya, her mother Raisa, a younger-looking and energetic woman, appeared in the doorway.

“This is the worst thing you can ever imagine –  to be healthier than your own daughter. It’s scares me to realize that my child needs more care in her younger age, than myself, –   Raisa tells us – To make this situation even worse, this war came to our home town. It only adds to the stresses that we already have!

For the last three years we have been suffering from cold in winters. You can’t rely on the electric heater for heating. First of all, it’s very expensive to use it. Secondly, there are shortages in the electricity supply… It was really hard for us to survive. I come visit her every day, I bring her firewood and start the stove for heating. I am actually her “hands and feet”. And what will happen to her if I die?”

I hug her and try to find some words of comfort for this old woman who hoped for a better future for her daughter. But it did not work out …

Sometimes both war and illness rule in the same family at the same time. Only some higher power knows the answers why this is happening. And we, ordinary people, have become convinced that in the epicenter of the grief of this family there is a place for joy: their house has been warm for 2 weeks now!

We are very grateful to “Pope for Ukraine” Initiative for believing in us and choosing “Emmanuel” Association as their executive partner!  Thanks to this opportunity, we have witnessed hundreds of changed lives in front-line towns and villages!

We are grateful to Pope Francis and all Catholic Christians from Europe who answered the Pope’s call for help the conflict-affected people of Donbass!