House of Hope
In Ukraine, five and a half thousand children under the age of 18 years are registered in oncology. In addition, every year a thousand of new cases of children's cancer are detected. Every hour 10 Ukrainians die from cancer. And for many children and their parents the hospital becomes a second home. The biggest oncology department in Ukraine is the National Cancer Institute in Kiev. Parents bring their sick children from all over the country here in a hope to defeat cancer. Adequate public funding of treating children's cancer is almost impossible. Allocated funds are barely enough for syringes and droppers. Treatment of young patients costs minimum 50$ per day, while minimum salary in Ukraine is 100$ per month. Those families who do not have money can just pray in the church and hope for a miracle, or wait for the help from charities. Visiting children's department of the Cancer Institute hurts. It is terrible to realize that many kids are doomed, about 50% of them. But children's belief in themselves, their optimism and smiles, the desire to learn something new touches our hearts and makes us hope for the better. Every day they wait for a miracle, believing and hoping that this nightmare will over.