During quieter summer months our Nurse has worked with 17 children all of whom have been directly abandoned or whose parents have had their parental rights removed as a result of legal proceedings against them. Almost all the young children have been abandoned because they live with differing forms of disability or are HIV+. Our nurse has, of course, given them the medical help they need and has also provided nappies, medicine and baby food which is not otherwise available on the ward. She plays an essential role in showing the loving care and support which these young children lack.

This is best illustrated by three recent examples: When Bogdan came into the ward he was only 13 months old. He was extremely unsettled and constantly banged his head against the side of his cot. He had never been shown any love or affection. He refused it to the point that every time our nurse touched him, picked him up to care for him or conduct a procedure he simply cried and cried. Gradually, and by giving him constant care and love he began to be calm and even able to smile.

Ira is three months old and was removed from her alcohol addicted parents at 3 am. Although Ira had been breast fed she was extremely ill, in much pain and often vomited violently. Our nurse discovered that little Ira was also poisoned by alcohol. With good food and medical care Ira is now doing well and is as baby of her age should be. We have also cared for a boy who is two and a half years old and HIV+ whose parents are in prison. He is extremely ill and weak. With the determined work of our nurse his condition is now stable.

 ChildAid has recently replaced the old and dilapidated windows in the baby ward and purchased a double action air-conditioning unit which will maintain a good ambient temperature, keeping the babies cool in summer and warm in winter. We have also increased our funding for Love Ukraine whose work takes place in the Baby Home in the city to which most of the children go after leaving our ward in the hospital.

In the last 6 months 35 babies have come under the care of our nurse in the Children’s Hospital in Dniprodzerzhynsk. Each of these are abandoned or taken from their parents who have been unable to care for their child (due to poverty, drugs or alcohol abuse). Many children and VERY unwell and none have received any care or affection.

One young girl, aged 19, has now had 4 babies with her 16 year old boyfriend. Each one has come into the hospital as she is unable to care for her new babies. These babies deserve the same love, affection and protection as any baby – but if it were not for your gifts and our support they would never get it.

Potty Training