Members of the “Protect Iliauni” group have raised 200,000 GEL for children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy through an ongoing live fundraising marathon, with the broadcast still continuing.
The group initially set a target of 100,000 GEL, which they reached within 39 hours. However, they continued the livestream and fundraising effort beyond the original goal.
Students say the funds will be transferred to a parents’ foundation supporting children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and will be used for medical and daily care needs, including wheelchairs, adapted beds, physiotherapy and regular examinations.
Among the cases supported, the students have already purchased a wheelchair and a generator for 21-year-old Beka Shonia. They say the generator is critical due to occasional power outages in his residential building, where he relies on medical equipment for breathing support.
The group also provided a new television for Shonia, who has been unable to leave his home for five years and relies on TV and the internet as his only link to the outside world.
Additional assistance has been provided to other children with Duchenne, including 14-year-old Vako, as well as brothers Dimitri and Luka from Batumi. The students also marked the birthdays of two children named Andria, aged four and seven, both of whom are currently mobile but face progressive symptoms of the disease.
Parents of children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy have been staging a continuous protest outside the government administration building for funding of treatment. The protest has continued for 32 nights, with families demanding state financing for medication and a meeting with Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze.
A petition supporting the demand has gathered around 50,000 signatures, calling on the state to prioritize access to life-saving treatment for children with the disease.
Donations for children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy can be made to the following accounts:
TBC: #GE20TB7881145068100026
BOG: #GE49BG0000000611756133
Kisa: https://www.kisa.ge/donate/qxd713owjd
Recipient: David Mshvenieradze
