Facing a cancer diagnosis is frightening at any age. Facing it as a child is unimaginable. In Belarus, a child diagnosed with cancer often receives care at the Belarusian Research Center for Pediatric Oncology, Hematology, and Immunology. Patients come to the hospital from all over the country. 

 

For those who live outside the city, one parent often has to quit working to travel with the child and stay near the hospital during treatments. Even though the medical care itself is free, this creates a financial burden that adds to the stress of being separated from the rest of the family. 

To support the needs of children and parents staying at the hospital, the Martins*, a Nazarene family living in Belarus, pioneered a multi-faceted ministry of compassionate care with other Nazarenes in the region. Prior to the pandemic, the family volunteered to help with activities like movie nights that are provided by the hospital to help children decompress after long days of medical treatments. They were in the beginning stages of starting regular kid and teen clubs for patients when the COVID-19 pandemic began. While the pandemic meant delaying those plans, it also opened the doors for other areas of connection.  

The Martins gathered and donated medical equipment like infrared thermometers and personal protective equipment for the medical staff and were able to make connections with local businesses who sponsored similar items, like coveralls and masks, for children. The family then began donating diapers and clothes to help families struggling to make ends meet during their stay. At Christmastime, gift boxes were distributed to thirty children and their parents. 

Using the connections with hospital staff, the Martins have begun helping some families with transportation home after treatment, especially for families who live several hours away or don’t have cars. They’ve also begun regularly restocking (with the help of friends in the city) the hospital’s “courage box” with toys and candies that children are rewarded with at the end of difficult treatments. 

“Thank you so much for the toys for the courage box!” one hospital staff member wrote to them. “I distributed what you gave me among the outpatient clinic, the dentists, and the treatment room. They really needed them!” 

Funds donated from Nazarenes in other parts of the region are being saved to help repair several small homes that were originally designed as temporary lodging for families with financial need. Because of lack of space, some patients need to use them as full-time lodging, and the hospital is unable to repair them easily. The goal is to solve as many of the outstanding issues as possible in the next few months.

These various expressions of care are making a difference for families. 

Natalia is a single mom with twin daughters, one of whom was receiving cancer treatment. Both her girls needed clothes, which they received in a box of donated items. 

“Thank you so much for the gift, the girls and I are thrilled!” she wrote. “We did not expect that. We now have everything we need for kindergarten. There are no words to express our gratitude.”

Natalia and her daughters attended the kids club at the hospital when it was meeting a few times, but when they returned back home, it was too far to keep coming without a reliable car. The conversations she’s had with the Martins indicate an openness to learning more about Christ, so they are praying for her vehicle situation to improve soon so they can stay in closer contact. 

“There are no words to express our gratitude.”

Another mom, Yulia, and her four girls also received donated clothing. Yulia was so grateful for the delivery that she called back to ask if anyone who donated needed help themselves. 

"Well, we have dacha [a small country house] where we grow vegetables,” she explained. “If they need something, you tell me, and on our next visit to the hospital, we'll bring the vegetables with us!"

The Martin family is grateful for the chance to ease the burden of a cancer diagnosis for these families. Their hope is that in spite of the challenges, children and their parents will see the transformative love of Christ. 

*Name is changed for protection.