Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- What is it like to live when you know that you are dying and that every day may be the last, or that the last may be the day of your child? Depression? Apathy? Humility? Despair? All this can be if you are left alone with your pain. But there is another way - to make every day happy and give strength to relatives who must survive the loss. It is provided by the children’s hospice.

Just such a children’s hospice was opened in Zangiata district of Tashkent region - the first in Uzbekistan.

This much-needed project, initiated by the Ezgu Amal Charitable Foundation, was implemented in just six months and became an example of amazing unanimity and consolidation of the efforts of the state, public and foreign organizations and sponsors.

Thanks to the active position of the Minister of Health Behzod Musayev, the issue of allocating space for the hospice was quickly resolved. It was organized on the basis of the former covid center. After the pandemic receded, there were many boxes fully stocked with household appliances, in addition, each still had a personal bathroom with a shower. It was they who were converted to new needs.

Great practical and methodological assistance in the creation of the hospice was provided by the Israeli Embassy, which, thanks to the experience of its employee, who previously worked in such institutions, was able to share the best practices in this area. The project was also actively supported by the Israeli Foreign Ministry.

And of course, volunteers who repaired, rebuilt, decorated everything with their own hands, destroying the hospital spirit and creating a home for children. It’s home, cozy and comfortable.

Now the hospice has 20 wards, designed for one patient and one relative. There is a social worker’s office for psychological relief and rooms where children can be creative or study. And, according to its employees, it doesn’t matter how much time lies ahead, what matters is how the day goes. And it should be interesting, fun, without pain and suffering.

But this is only the beginning of the story. And now it is important that it last for many, many years and even decades. And this again requires the activity of all parties.

Aziza Umarova, a member of the Board of Trustees of the Ezgu Amal Foundation, noted that the hospice was created to provide palliative care. This is general assistance to the patient in the terminal stage of the disease, when the treatment is ineffective and the fight against pain, somatic manifestations and the solution of the psychological, social or spiritual problems of the patient and his relatives come to the fore. And here any help is very important.

“But if we are talking about financial support, then we kindly ask you to provide it not in cash, but through payment systems or to a current account, since we strive for maximum transparency,” Aziza Umarova emphasized. — Corporate sponsors could help by closing one item of expenditure, for example, the salary of a social worker or feeding children, or food for parents, etc., but for a year.

Volunteer help will be very needed - people who can come, read to children, draw with them or do something else. It must be understood that there are children in the hospice who, unfortunately, have very few left, so we are not talking about the educational process. But if one of them wants to study a foreign language, drawing, or another subject, then again, volunteer teachers are needed. But there is a base: there are desks and other necessary equipment. And of course, support is needed for staff who will burn out, because they will have to constantly deal with the death of children.

One of these days, information will be published on the website of the Ezgu Amal Foundation on how to coordinate their assistance. At the same time, the organizers noticed that they do not need a sprint when everyone rushes to help in the short term, and then disappears. This is a long-term project and therefore it is important that people can help, if not often, but for a long time.