Our Story ... 
...When I was seven months pregnant, our life was turned upside down overnight. On an ordinary Saturday afternoon, law enforcers with machine guns burst into our flat. In front of me, a pregnant woman, and our four-year-old son, they detained my husband without explaining why. They simply took him away in handcuffs. Later I learnt that it was because of a fabricated political clause. Our family became a victim of political terror, which, unfortunately, has already crushed thousands of Belarusian families.
In the morning I realised that something was wrong: my baby was no longer moving in my belly. The next day I went to the doctor, and the ultrasound showed a terrible thing - the baby seemed to have frozen, the blood flow was disturbed. I was urgently hospitalised, injections were given to open my lungs, but I was prepared for the worst. The next morning it became clear: we can't wait any longer. Emergency operation - emergency caesarean section.

This is how our Polina was born - tiny, only 1,870 g. She could hardly breathe and could not eat on her own. The doctors immediately put her on life support. Brain haemorrhage, weak lungs, many other diagnoses... The chances for a good outcome were minimal. I was only allowed in once a day for 10 minutes to look through the glass. A week later I was released, but Polina remained in intensive care. Then the intensive care unit. There she faced hospital infections and long weeks of fighting for life. Polina first tried for a long time through a probe. But the difficulties were just beginning. It was dangerous to stay in Belarus and we decided to leave for Poland. In Poland we had to start everything from scratch, without money, without housing, with the risk of ending up on the street.

But the hardest part was the realisation that something was wrong with Polina. She could not sit up, she could not crawl, her hand hardly worked at all. After numerous consultations, the doctors diagnosed her with cerebral palsy. Disability... 

We started the struggle. Thanks to the support of people who cared about her, Polina underwent many rehabilitation courses. Now, at the age of 3 years and 5 months, she can already stand a little in orthoses, takes steps with a walker, and sits confidently. This is the result of daily work, training with specialists. Polina's childhood is special. Instead of playing on the playground, she spends her days in rehabilitation centres, where she learns every movement - everything that ordinary children do without thinking. In our family we have an older son Timofey, who is almost 8 years old. He goes to the first grade, but because of his sister's illness, his childhood is not like other children's.

Despite all the difficulties, Polina grows up to be a very inquisitive, bright and incredibly persistent girl. She does not give up and makes tiny but important steps forward every day. She doesn't always succeed, a lot of things are given with great difficulty, but she has amazing willpower. Her eyes shine with joy when she plays with her brother, she loves to listen to music and laughs heartily when we dance together.
She loves the water - in the pool or bath it's hard to get her out, as that's where it's easier for her to move around. She also loves animals - cats, horses and especially dogs, she reaches for them with incredible awe.

 
We really need a holiday and a change of scenery. It seems to us that a trip to sunny Cyprus is not just a story about a break from worry, it's so much more. It is an opportunity to immerse ourselves in an atmosphere of healing joy, an opportunity for sunshine and happiness therapy. Reading the stories of other families with whom this miracle happened, we begin to believe that it will happen to us too. After all, it is not by chance that Cyprus is called the holy island!
We have been through a lot, but we have not lost faith and hope. 
 
Thank you in advance for your attention and any help.
 
Sincerely, Maria

*The donation fee includes:

Programme for 10 days

Petrol expenses

Meals

Excursions

Entertainment

Airline tickets to Cyprus are sponsored by our partner charity foundation "Dar Losu"