Dear friends,
Our regular seventh DobroMore rehabilitation retreat took place this October — and it was a great success! It was meaningful, warm, and truly inspiring. Thank you to all participants! We grew closer, supported each other, and filled these days with light. Once again, together we reaffirmed the main idea of our program: We bring happiness back to people. A special heartfelt thank you to our volunteers who came from everywhere — Germany, Russia, Ukraine, Montenegro — for your dedication, support for the families of severely ill children, your kind hearts, compassion, professionalism, and love for life. We rejoice that most volunteers at DobroMore are members of our local Dobroe Delo groups — and even more so that this year, for the first time, we welcomed volunteers who once attended our program as children! We hope to see all of you again next year.

We also sincerely thank everyone who continues to support us through good deeds, donations, prayers, and participation. Thanks to you, we can continue helping families in difficult circumstances.

Last month, with your help, we supported:

Darya Ermak, 14 years old, Belarus. Diagnosis: osteosarcoma of the femur, stage II.

This month, the following children are waiting for our help:

DMITRY ZHELEZNOV, 16 years old, Belarus. Diagnosis: desmoplastic small round cell tumor, stage 4. Dmitry has been receiving treatment in Freiburg, Germany, for four years. He has gone through chemotherapy, multiple surgeries, and is now on maintenance therapy to prevent relapse. The medications and quarterly examinations are very expensive. But the therapy is helping — and stopping it is not an option. The clinic has issued an invoice for €50,000. The family asks for financial assistance.

SABA BALABANOV, 16 years old, Russia. Diagnosis: Hodgkin lymphoma, stage 4. Saba has been our beneficiary for many years. Thank God, his courageous fight has brought results: he is now in remission. It is time to remove the medical port that was used during treatment — and this must be done urgently. The cost of the operation is about €3,000.

IGNAT LITVINENKO, 12 years old, Kazakhstan. Diagnosis: Cerebral palsy, spastic tetraparesis, GMFCS level V. From early childhood Ignat has been fighting his illness. He recently underwent hip osteotomy surgeries. Doctors warn that without further treatment and rehabilitation, contractures will worsen, especially during the period of hormonal growth. One treatment option is the installation of a baclofen pump, but unfortunately this method is not available in Kazakhstan. Doctors recommend surgery followed by mandatory rehabilitation in China. Ignat has preserved intellectual abilities, attends a regular school, and is now in 5th grade. His mother is raising him alone; he has no close relatives and no financial means to pay for the surgery and the long rehabilitation needed to secure the results. Amount needed: €18,000.

If you have any adult or children’s wheelchairs or rollators you can donate, the Orthodox Church of St. Panteleimon in Cologne will gladly accept them. Many of our beneficiaries in Cologne and Bonn wish to attend church, but lack of mobility aids makes approaching icons, Communion, or the Cross difficult for them. Your help would be a blessing!

We also invite you to the New Year and Christmas charity fairs of Dobroye Delo — all proceeds go to help our beneficiaries in the regions. Treat yourself and your loved ones while doing a good deed! The schedule and locations of the fairs can be found on our website. If you would like to give a Christmas or New Year gift to a sick child, you can donate to our account with the note Kinderhilfe Geschenk, or purchase and send a gift requested by one of the children. Letters to “Father Frost” will be published in our next newsletter and on our website: orthodiakonia.de

 
Hurry to do good!
Warm hugs
Yours Alina Titova