By Kelsie Krull | Grants Officer
Mona is living with her brothers in a house that has become more like a hospital than a home. Her brother Fadi, an accountant, is the only one helping her, along with some charitable organizations. But even with their support, the situation is heartbreaking and nearly impossible to carry.
Her brother Georges, now 60 years old, suffers from severe mental and physical health problems. Half of his brain is damaged. He doesn’t speak a word anymore. He lies silently, lost in his own pain. Georges needs daily medication for constant, unbearable headaches. Years ago, after a deep depression caused by his wife leaving him and taking their children, Georges collapsed. He had a stroke while watching an episode about divorce on TV. His sadness was too heavy to bear. Doctors had to remove a quarter of his skull to save his life. Now, he is paralyzed on the right side, unable to walk or talk, but he understands everything. His eyes are always filled with tears. He hasn’t seen his children in years, and the pain of that loss is written all over his face. When we prayed with him during our visit, he cried silently, a cry that said everything words couldn’t.
Georges’ son is currently studying in France on a scholarship, but he cannot help. The other son is far away. Mona is left to take care of everything.
Then there is Michel, their other brother, who lives with them too. His life has also fallen apart. He’s addicted to alcohol and lives in deep sadness. Once a creative soul, Michel still works on handmade art and Christian icons, which he sells to churches for small amounts of money. He was working on a gift,an artwork made of beads for the artist Wissam Hanna. But even in his art, you can feel the pain. When we visited, he also cried while we prayed. He told us he prays every day, begging God to help him get rid of his addiction. He is lost but still holding onto a small hope.
In the middle of all this suffering stands Mona. She is not just a sister, she is their nurse, their guardian, their strength. She lifts Georges when he needs to use the bathroom. She feeds them, dresses them, listens to their cries without rest, without help. She is exhausted and heartbroken, carrying a weight no one should ever carry alone.
But when we visited again on March 6, 2025, the house was full of silence and pain. Poverty had covered every corner. The rooms were cold, the air heavy. The family’s suffering was unbearable.
Georges still needs a prosthetic skull implant, but they have no way to afford it. He lies there, broken, tears running down his face without a word. Michel is lost in addiction. And Mona is just trying to keep them all alive.
We are doing what we can. We support them with some basic medications. But the need is much greater.
This is not just a family in need. This is a family in crisis. A family drowning in sorrow. And they urgently need help.
Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.
Support this important cause by creating a personalized fundraising page.
Start a Fundraiser