“How happy we are here,” says Kostyantyn Varyga, looking at this photo. But it wasn’t always like that… Life always throws unexpected surprises your way. You think you’re ready for anything. That’s exactly how it was in my case; in 2000, I went to get tested for hepatitis. In 1996, I had hepatitis B, so I decided to monitor my liver’s condition. “You have hepatitis C, next patient”—that’s all I heard. The doctor didn’t explain what it was. I won’t lie—it was expected, but still, I would have liked to hear a different verdict. I stepped outside—sadness and silence all around. Years went by… I can’t say it was a bright spot. Everything was gloomy and gray until a star named Vira Varyga lit up my life! With her came love and hope into my life. Nine months later, we got married, and a year later, our beautiful, healthy second son, Yakov, was born. Now there are four of us—me, Vira, Danya, and Yashko. My wife worked in HIV services; she told me everything about hepatitis C treatment. The thing is, Vira also had hepatitis C, so she was up to date on the latest developments. By that time, new medications had become available—pegylated interferons combined with ribavirin. The cost was out of our reach, the treatment lasted about a year, and there were a lot of risks. Not everyone made it to the end of treatment. There were also cases where the virus returned. So I decided for myself—I’ll live as long as God allows. But my wife’s health was deteriorating, and at that time, free treatment programs became available, and Vera was accepted into one. A period of further difficult trials began for our family. Vera had a hard time with this therapy—terrible weakness, hair loss, low hemoglobin; she lost weight and could barely stand on her feet. Sometimes I had to feed her with a spoon. It seemed to us that this year would never end… Watching the suffering of the person closest to me only strengthened my resolve—I won’t suffer like that! But time passed, and I began to feel terribly exhausted; my appetite decreased, and joint pain set in. Everyone was saying there was an alternative to interferons—pills, a new generation of medication. The treatment is highly effective, with minimal risks, and most importantly, the treatment duration is just 3 months. That was something, and I began to think more and more often—maybe it’s worth a try. I couldn’t get into the state program, so I turned to my former colleague at the charity “100 Percent Life. Kyiv Region,” Yuriy Voynalovich. By that time, he had already organized the “Hepatitis C Survivors Club” and was helping patients with viral hepatitis access the latest treatments. Knowing my circumstances—my mother’s death, moving with two children, and my sister “devastated by grief”—he helped me decide to undergo the treatment. Accessible and rapid diagnostics, consultations with the wonderful infectious disease specialist Olena Mykolayivna Samsonova, and the prescription of a treatment regimen—everything went so smoothly and quickly that I didn’t even notice when I started treatment. Funding for the diagnosis and medication was provided by the “Diagnose and Treat Hepatitis—It’s Affordable and Effective” project. These three months are nothing compared to the whole year of suffering my wife went through during her treatment. It’s like night and day. And now, a month later—the first test results and that long-awaited outcome—Negative!!! Today, I am full of strength and energy. I am involved in social entrepreneurship, transporting people with disabilities in a specially adapted vehicle. Everyone in my family is healthy and happy. Those dark, sad days are far behind us. A new chapter, a new life full of energy and wonderful opportunities. Now do you understand why we’re so happy in this photo?!
P.S.: If you still have doubts about whether to start treatment or not, my advice to you is—it’s worth it! You’ll feel like you’ve been reborn, and wonderful moments will await you ahead. You’ll realize that life takes on new hues—hues of complete happiness and health!
