My name is Michael Tolchinsky and this summer I worked with the team focused on establishing the Children’s Hospice in Tbilisi, Georgia. Without exception, the entire staff involved with this project is committed, highly competent and emotionally invested in the wellbeing of the children.

The Children’s Hospice will provide essential care services for children with terminal illnesses. Currently, there is no such facility in Georgia - these children are hence in dire need of medical equipment, specialised beds and the 24 hour attention that their overworked, overstretched families cannot always provide them. In addition, as a huge amount of them live in very poor, cramped conditions outside the city centre, doctors can often only visit them once per week.

Georgia is not a wealthy place, but its people are generous and have been supporting the effort since the very start, whether that is through providing money, resources or labour. But there are limits to what can been raised locally, and my family and I hope to help both publicise this valuable cause and collect donations from abroad.

On my visit, the families of all the children were not only very welcoming but also steadfast and brave in the face of extreme adversity. We want to help make the lives of the kids and their families as manageable as possible, so we are aiming to raise money to furnish and equip one of the specialised children’s rooms in the Hospice. This would cost a substantial $16,000, so any contribution towards this amount is a step in an extremely positive direction.

Please help us spread this information. If you want to support children with incurable diseases in Georgia, please consider donating. We would all be extremely grateful for anything you could give for this important cause.

For more information about the hospice, please visit www.childrenshospice.org.ge or have a look at the coverage in the national news: http://imedi.ge/index.php?pg=nws&id=73282&ct=6.