Back in June we reported about Ivalena and her rare autoimmune sickness. As of this year, “Heart for Bulgaria” is committed to be a regular support for the family. Ivalena received a wheelchair from FCTrelief to improve her mobility. She is already 14 years of age and keeps growing. In the modest family house in which they all live, it has become impossible to carry Ivalena up to the second floor; she is too big and has become too heavy. Most normal older Bulgarian houses in the villages are built with two floors: the upper one for living, and the ground floor, often halfway in the ground, more as workshops, basement or the grandparents, and often with a summer kitchen attached or nearby. Most gardens are used to grow vegetables and fruit trees.
Instead of installing an expensive lift, the family decided to renovate one room on ground floor level and add a small bathroom so as to provide for hygiene. And it is there we want to help them!
The grandfather is doing most of the work and the family can save a lot of money. As a certified electrician and a handyman for everything – typical Bulgarian for that generation – a lot has already been done, as seen on the photos.
The mother is painting, a friend does the water installations, and everyone is helping as they can. With our help the renovation can be finished much sooner and Ivalena should be able to move into her nice room before the winter. They will have direct access to the room on ground level and everything will, of course, be built for wheelchair access. It will, thus, be much easier for the family to meet the needs of the disabled daughter/granddaughter and to provide her with as much comfort as possible.
This rather big project is of great importance for the family and the sick child – money is well invested there. The family is ever so very grateful to all the sponsors and sends heartfelt greetings to Switzerland! A big thank you also from our side for the generous support, so that we can help good people in relevant, reasonable and practical ways.