Dream Ark

There are seven members in the family, a father, mother and five children. The twins, Khatia and Beka, have cerebral palsy. Due to their disabilities, the state provides aid in the amount of forty lari a month.

Revazi Gorgodze, the father of five children, is a resident of the village of Khevasheni in the Adigeni District. He worked at the police station in the past and received a good salary to support his family. They were very glad when the twins were born. However, their joy very quickly turned into pain when the babies were diagnosed with cerebral palsy. According to the Georgian proverb, ‘A stone will reach a poor man up to the mountain’ and in this case the only bread winner lost his job.

“I have not worked for a long time. Sometimes, I get surprised how we continue to survive,” said Ramaz Gorgodze.

Khatia and Beka are eleven years old now. The parents have to carry them in their hands.

“Khatia weighs 23 kilos, and Beka weighs 22 kilos. It’s difficult to carry them, but I have no choice in the matter. They cannot sit properly in the pram. They are always moving around and I am afraid they will fall off,” said Nato Gorgodze.

“Beka has been very pale for several days already and I guess his hemoglobin level has fallen very low. However, I cannot afford to take him to a doctor,” says the worried mother.

The family used to take the children to Tbilisi Rehabilitation Center. They have not been there for three years already because they have no money for transportation.

“We should take the children to the doctors every month for regular examinations. But we do not care about medical examinations, I only wish…” Nato trembled and could not finish her words.

“I wish” means so many things and medicines are the most urgent.

The medicine “Deparkin” is necessary for Khatia but it costs 17 lari. Besides that it is only enough for two weeks and the family needs 37 lari to buy the medicine for the girl. The children receive only forty lari as a pension from the state.

“Beka has not had any cramps since he was eighteen months old. But Khatia has cramps every other day and I give her Deparkin ease the pain. I am no longer able to buy the medicine she needs,” said Nato.

The third child of the family, Otiko, is seventeen. He works in the forests where he collects firewood. He borrows the neighbor’s bulls to transport the wood to the village. The wood is for the family and those whose bulls he uses. “What shall I do if I did not have Otiko,” said the mother.

The family with seven members continues to struggle for survival. The elder daughter, nineteen-year-old Natia, never was told how to lift heavy things properly and now is hunch backed and also disabled. Kahtia never parts with her brother and mumbles rhythms to him. Unlike her twin, Kahtia can pronounce some words. Beka cannot speak at all.

“The journalists, having left the house, could not help dreaming too. “I wish these children recovered from their illness,” “I wish the government aided the family,” “I wish somebody would become interested in this family’s fate.” The whole village is sorry for the family.

Beka and Khatia are listening to their father attentively when he retells them fairy tales. The story finishes soon and father arranges the children’s legs properly on the bed, pushes them to the wall and lies besides them. The children do not know anything about the Dream Ark but seeing the other children of their age running around, they also dream-I wish I could run too.

Gulo Kokhodze, Adigeni