MEET SUZANNE

Suzanne and her daughter Antonella

My husband and I have four children: three sons and a daughter. Antonella – our daughter – is 14 years old now and suffers from hemiplegia. She suffered brain damaged at birth, when she fell from the nurse’s hands as I was delivering her. She is not independent, and cannot walk properly.  She also cannot go to the bathroom by herself since she is not able to feel when she needs to go, so I have to help her with this very three hours. We tried everything to improve her condition but nothing really worked. We tried to do physiotherapy, speech therapy, and we also did our best to send her to see a psychologist. But now, because of our difficult financial situation, we are not able to care for her medically and emotionally as much as she needs. Just her daily medication – which she absolutely cannot do without – costs us 13 dollars each day, which is close to $400 a month. That’s without the cost of diapers and everything else we need for her, including frequent hospitalizations.

Our son Georges has an iron deficiency, so every six months he has to get vitamins injections and blood transfer. As for Charbel, he has quite severe sight issues, with a visual acuity of -9. Without his glasses, he wouldn’t see anything. Every three months he needs new tests, and his condition requires we change his glasses very often. Thank God, our oldest son Antony doesn’t have any medical issue. Other than these huge medical expenses, we have to pay for rent, electricity, water, and all other basic and educational needs.

I am not able to work because I cannot leave my children alone, especially Antonella but also my three boys who are still young. My husband works as a tuktuk driver and his income is not enough. He used to work in construction too, but a few months ago he got severaly injured in an accident. He fell from a roof he was working on and broke several of his ribs. Because of that he now cannot carry anything remotely heavy, which adds pressure on me when it comes to the physical work of the house and of caring for Antonella.

On top of that, my husband developed high blood pressure. This week we had to take him twice to the hospital because of it. We’re not sure yet what the high blood pressure is caused by. At the hospital they told us to go see a cardiologist but we haven’t had time to yet, and we honestly can’t afford it right now.

I am usually very shy to ask for help, I trust God will provide in a way or another. But two to three years ago, someone I know was going to the church’s relief center and asked me if I wanted to join. I went and met sister Sonia there. It turned out Sonia and I are related but I didn’t even know. Back then, the church was distributing some walkers. When they heard about our story and Antonella, they offered me a walker for her. Later Sonia visited us at home and the church decided to start helping us.

I have been receiving food assistance from the church, which is usually renewed every six months, although sometimes the church pauses the assistance for six months to be able to help other families too. I also received blankets and mattresses this winter, as well as fuel vouchers for heating. The church stood by us on many other occasions, helping with some of the money for Antonella’s tests and medical care. This help makes a huge difference. Some days we have nothing to give to our children, and we can’t even buy bread. The church stands by us every time this happens.

As we got to know the team, we also met the other church members. I got to know them well and I got very close to them. They became like family to me, and they provided me with a huge emotionall support. I badly needed it, because of the difficult pyschological state I was in. Simply seeing the church’s team makes me feel so much better. Someone asks about us, someone gives me a hug, someone shares a loving and encouraging word, someone offers Biblical wisdom, someone prays with me.

During the war, we got very scared at some point. One night there were several airstrikes in our neighborhood. We had heard it might happen, and I was in the middle of moving Antonella’s bed from near the window when the first explosion happened. Everything turned dark and there was a loud sound. The airstrike hit a building right next to our house and a window broke. Antonella started screaming and my husband and the boys ran downstairs. We couldn’t take Antonella with us because there was no electricity and we cannot easily carry her on the stairs, she is too heavy now. So I stayed with Antonella and there was another strike. It was extremely scary, but I would have preferred dying with her right there than leaving her behind. Thank God we were safe, but it was a traumatizing night.

I hope my children can learn and get a good education, although we struggle to pay for school. I dream and pray for a miracle, and that Antonella will be healed. Thank you so much to all who helped. May God bless, keep, and reward you. We pray that you would keep on helping, because many other families need help just as much as we do.