Dina Makarenko: "Our task is to help families with seriously ill children at any cost!

When a child falls ill with a deadly disease, the entire family needs support. By providing treatment for children, we alleviate parents' feelings of guilt and hopelessness and restore their faith. Unfortunately, some of the children we help do not survive due to reasons such as delayed treatment and complications. Although not all children can be saved, it is crucial to continue the fight. Dina Makarenko, the director of the Sun of Hope Foundation, shares how we cope with such heartbreaking losses.

-The loss of a child is something we can never get used to. Through fundraising, even a small contribution can make us feel connected to their story. We experience sympathy and empathy for the parents, and we share in their joys and worries. Even when the situation seems bleak, we hold onto hope for a miracle until the very end.  

The passing of children always evokes intense emotions. I have great respect for the work of doctors. Even though we may not have personal contact with the children, every loss is deeply shocking for us. Doctors are in constant contact with the children, and despite the challenges, they persist and continue to fight.

The first child to leave was Sherzod Muratzhanov. We had a small fundraiser for an expensive analysis. We only saw the boy and his cheerful mom a couple of times in the hospital. I was amazed at the strength of this fragile woman who continued to smile despite everything. I wanted things to turn out well for them. However, he passed away almost immediately after the test results came back. It hasn't gotten any easier over time, but there are many other stories where we were able to help. Those stories help you to move on. 

Illness and death don't choose who they come to. Not everything is in our hands. Being the director of a public foundation, I have to face pain and loss. At the same time, I also witness so much hope, faith, and light in our work through the stories of healing children. The stories of losses, victories, and healings of our beneficiaries teach me to appreciate life, every day and every minute!

Dina Makarenko, Director of the Sun of Hope Foundation