A low-income family with three children turned to the Skiniya Church in Severodonetsk for help. A small town in the frontline zone of the Luhansk region.
They say the eyes are the window to the soul. These children’s eyes told a story—of pain, fear, suffering, and unfulfilled dreams. The protagonists of this story faced a difficult fate. The family was relocated to the village of Orlivka in the Chernihiv region.
Yulia is the oldest child in the family; she was a bit withdrawn. Mykhailo is the middle child; he was a bit livelier. And little Masha, who seemed not to understand anything. But we guessed that these children had seen things that their peers had only seen on TV—or perhaps hadn’t seen at all!
The children and their guardians face a new challenge: it turns out that the older children have viral hepatitis C.
The guardians are at a loss... What to do? How to help? Where to get the funds for treatment? Where to start? Questions, questions… Reflection and prayer led them to Yuriy Voynalovich, the head of the “BSD” public organization.
Yulia and Mykhailo became the first participants in the “Healthy Future of Ukraine” Project, which the BCD team launched in December 2019 to treat adolescents aged 12–17 diagnosed with chronic HCV genotypes 1 and 4–6. The project is funded by American donors thanks to the efforts of Vladimir Borisov.
The effectiveness of the 12-week treatment course is 95–99%.
Thus, in December 2019, Yulia and Mykhailo began their journey toward freedom from the “silent killer.”
The BSD NGO organized a fun day for the children; they spent the whole day at an entertainment center, where they watched new and interesting cartoons, played bowling, and enjoyed other attractions, and most importantly, feasted on delicious pizza and desserts.
For Mykhailo and Yulia, this was a first in their lives.
There was also plenty of conversation. It turned out that Mykhailo dreams of flying on an airplane, while “grown-up” Yulia simply wants to be healthy.
We believe that, in time, they will develop new dreams and goals. For now, we want to say that the children’s eyes lit up because they saw hope—as if life had returned to these little bodies.
The first test results after a month of taking the medication were encouraging—the virus is no longer in their blood!
Just a little while longer—a few weeks—and Yulia’s dream of “being healthy” will come true.
We are confident that thanks to caring people, Misha and Yulia will find their place in our society and be happy!
If you or your children have been diagnosed with viral hepatitis C, don’t waste time—contact the specialists at BCD. We will work with you to develop a personalized plan for diagnosis and treatment. Our qualified infectious disease specialists and hepatologists will provide you with personalized consultations to help your family successfully overcome hepatitis C.
