Angelina’s Story
Angelina fled the war with her mother right after she was born. She then had a very complicated surgery in Lviv. Her mother is still under stress and cannot take care of her child due to psychological problems. She is able to visit Angelina occasionally, which makes Angelina so happy.
In the children’s hospice in Ukraine, Angelina has found real friends. She is loved by nurses, therapists and other older children. But she still needs support in everything, especially in gaining weight to be ready for her next surgery.
Her diagnosis includes a congenital brain defect, dystonic syndrome, and a cleft in both the soft and hard palate.
Recently, Angelina was in poor health because her feeding tube needed urgent replacement, but the hospice lacked the funds to cover even basic necessities. As a result, she lost weight again, and her surgery had to be postponed.
“She can’t speak, but her eyes express so much—pure emotions and a silent prayer that nothing bad will happen to her,” says the nurse. “We do our best to hold back tears when we look into those intelligent, pleading eyes.”
