Generally children die at home and are supported there, but just occasionally they need to come to stay at the Hospice. Maxim was staying there with a carer and we agreed to take him with us to Zhuravichi on the way (not strictly accurate!) to Gomel. It seemed very sad to be delivering a child to Zhuravichi when we are so keen to get children out of there, but Maxim is quite severely physically and mentally disabled and is about the size of a six month old baby with a developmental level of no more than two months. The kind of child for whom at present there is really no other option.
Hazel, Chris and I visited the hospital where Lova was, with Denis as our interpreter whilst the others were at the Hospice. I had forgotten to find out which ward he was in and the Hospital was guarded by a very unhelpful woman. While Denis tried to find the right ward, this woman attempted to turn the rest of us into frogs as we waited. It was Lova who actually found us as we set off up the stairs. He seemed quite well and cheerful, and it was hard to believe that he was as ill as Albina had said. When we eventually tracked down his Urologist he told us that Lova’s immediate problem was his spleen. Apparently there had been a small accident at the Rehabilaition Centre and Lova had fallen out of his wheelchair whilst playing with a friend, banging his side on the arm of the wheelchair. This had caused a cyst on his spleen which had been drained once but was now in danger of rupturing. The hospital were happy to operate and remove his spleen if they had permission from Zhuravichi, which I promised we would obtain as quickly as possible. The doctor told us that computer analysis had shown that Lova’s kidneys were deteriorating and that his life span was not likely to be much more than a couple of years. In the meantime, if he had his spleen removed he would be in no immediate danger and should be able to go back to the Rehabilitation Centre. We told Lova that his operation should take place very soon and would be no problem as it was only a small operation. This was not really true and Chris was very surprised that the doctor seemed to make light of a spleenectomy, which in Britain is regarded as quite a major operation. We took Lova for a walk in the grounds and were surprised, in view of the difficulty we had experienced getting in to the hospital, how easy it was to take a patient out!
We all gathered together again at ‘Children in Trouble’ for a meal before travelling to Gomel. The mothers, who stay in the hostel with their children during their treatment, had prepared us a meal and Evgeny and Elena talked to us about the large numbers of children who were being diagnosed with cancer or leukaemia and entering into their association. They have many children, especially teenagers, who need a holiday this year and will not get one.

Youlia and her mum at Children in Trouble. Right: At Children in Trouble