12-year-old Tornike Urgently Needs Assistance

Tamar Khutsishvili

Tomorrow, on July 10 the family of Tornike Jabauri will learn the exact day of the operation. He has a broken arm. In order to prevent the process of deterioration of the arm bone, the operation must be done immediately. In the best situation, the deterioration of the arm bone will be stopped. In the worst situation, a donor will be needed to install a new bone into the deteriorated bone. 3,800 GEL is needed for the first variant and 20, 000 GEL for the second one. His family cannot afford the sum because they do not have the money and are not entitled to receive it from the state. Tornike’s parents must rely on the assistance of the state and generous people. If somebody can assist the child, please transfer the money to the following account: People’s Bank BIC 220101476; account number 41 16 73 08 30, or call his father Kakha Jabauri on the number: 8 74 51 57 14.

For twelve years moving from one flat to another is a usual occasion for Tornike Jabauri. Every morning he must wonder where he will have to sleep that night. But his main problem is week bones and he faced this problem when he broke his hand at the age of 10. The diagnosis was cyst of the bone. Because of poverty the parents could not leave Tornike in the hospital for medical treatment. They applied to the Ministry of Healthcare but they were refused because the Ministry did not have funds. There are three chairs, two beds, a table, a wardrobe and black-and-white TV set in their one-room flat in the Temka settlement in Tbilisi. They are renting the flat but soon the family will have to leave the accommodation because they have not paid the rent for three months. The wardrobe looks like a small archive of appeals and petitions that have been sent to various institutions since 1997. We found a petition to the president, to the mayor, to the chairperson of the parliament, district governors, etc.

Tornike is in the 7th form of the Public School N 32. He does very well at school and his photo is very often seen on the board for smart pupils. He particularly loves Math and Georgian literature. He prays every morning. Although his health is too poor he fasts. His confessor is Father Basili who is the most honorable person for Tornike and the child tries never do something wrong. He goes to the church together with his parents. He spends free time with his friends, loves football but cannot play like other boys because he broke his arm playing football. Tornike dreams about own house and is bored with moving from one to another flat all the time.

Nobody works in the family. Kakha Jabauri. The father is a donor and he sells his blood to keep the family. He is also seriously ill and cannot work. He sacrifices his health for the medical treatment of the son and now he visits every institution to collect sums for Tornike’s operation.

Tornike petitioned to the President of Georgia but the reply was sent back 3 months later. “Mr. Tornike, I have studied your problem carefully; and we do our best to develop our country into the state where every citizen will be protected and respected properly. Many people still live in poor conditions, many people are unemployed and struggle with poverty… we will do our best to assist you to create the best environment for you to feel that you are the son of a developed, strong and considerate state,” was the reply to Tornike from the president. However, more than one year has passed but… Tornike has not felt that he is the son of developed and considerate state. He still hopes but has only one day before the operation… or more days if nobody assists him… The doctors demand immediate operation to avoid additional complications.

Tornike is not afraid of the operation if the state has the kind will to assist him. He wants the president to visit him like other ill children because his letter did not have any result.