It is with a deep sadness that we let you know of the passing of Nadezhda ‘Granny’ Pribysh from our Community Care and Hospice Programme. ‘Granny’, as she was known affectionately to volunteers, looked after her granddaughter Nastya who is part of our Community Care and Hospice Programme. CCI’s Community Care and Hospice Programme has helped ‘Granny’ and Nastya for over a decade with both medical and practical care needs. CCI provided them with food parcels, medical supplies and equipment such as a walker as well as medical and therapeutic services to Nastya. Our volunteer teams of builders even provided ‘Granny’ and Nastya with new windows and insulation so their house would be warm in the winter. Our CCI monthly medical teams to Vesnova Children’s Institution would also go to visit Nastya and her granny.

Despite all the care and love ‘Granny’ lavished on Nastya it now seems likely that she will go into state care and her future is uncertain. Nastya’s granny always said that while there was ‘breath in my body she won’t go to one of those places’. Her fight to keep Nastya out of state care came to an abrupt end this week when she went for routine medical tests that would allow her to become Nastya’s legal guardian, removing the worry of Nastya ever being placed in state care, when the hospital discovered she had kidney failure. The love, dedication and care that ‘Granny’ showed Nastya will stay with Nastya forever and with us as a true testament to the strength of the human heart. All on her own ‘Granny’ looked after Nastya, who has severe physical and mental disabilities, despite the heavy worries this women carried she shouldered it with uncommon compassion and kindness, those who knew her knew a woman of tremendous resilience and strength and the heart and soul of an angel.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a h-anam dílis. (May she rest in Peace)