Dalibor, his blind mother can barely afford medicine: War destroyed him as youth, he can't get a job

Photo: Dejan Milosevic

The NATO bombing in 1999 and the war in Kosovo and Metohija found Dalibor Cvetkovic (46) from Zitoradja as a young man only 24 years of age, who had served his regular military service. He was supposed to have a happy life in front of him, but the war stood in the way of that - after serving in the army, he was called up to the reserves.

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And after the war, Dalibor was no longer the same - the trauma remained from all the horrors that the NATO bombing had caused. The post-traumatic stress syndrome and psychological consequences due to which he has to take extremely strong medications also remained with him.

Because of his health, it is very difficult for Dalibor to find a job, and he is ready, as he says, to do anything. In his modesty and desire to earn a few dinars for himself and his blind mother, he does not hesitate to do any work or trade.

"The war completely destroyed him. He has to take drugs that are not cheap at all, and how to buy them? Krstana, the mother, is 78, and completely blind. She is also ill, and there is no money for her medicines either," Dejan Milosevic, a humanitarian from Kursumlija who has known Dalibor for years, told Telegraf.rs.

Medicines cost 10,000 dinars

He points out that Krstana has a pension of 12,500 dinars, and that the medicines for the two of them alone would cost around 10,000.

"Dalibor is a calm, modest, withdrawn guy. He wouldn't hurt a fly. Believe me, despite their poverty... if he found 1,000 dinars in the street now, he would return it," says Milosevic.

He also describes his conversation with Krstan, which they had when he visited them to help.

"When I went to them, Dalibor told her, 'This is my friend', and when we were alone, she started crying. She said, 'So many times I hide from him so he doesn't see me, then cry my eyes out'. She doesn't feel sorry for herself, but for her son who is suffering so much. It's difficult for him to find a job, and he is constantly looking for one. He worked for a few months on some public works, and that's all. He is also willing to sweep the streets, and when winter comes, he chops wood for other people and earns some money that way," this humanitarian explains.

So far, good people have helped this family by buying them a washing machine, because the old one broke down, almost fell apart.

"They don't have an electric cooker, and the TV is the old and small one, the kind that is almost gone. They manage to get firewood, so they use the only stove they have. They eat potatoes, beans, sometimes string beans. They hardly ever have any meat," Milosevic tells us.

The house, he adds, is in a more or less in good condition, although it is old. Dalibor takes care of it, as hardworking and meticulous as he is.

"It's hard for his mother, we launched an initiative to get her into care. She is blind and can't do anything by herself. I hope that good people will call to help, this is really a great sadness," our interlocutor concludes.

If you want to help Dalibor and his blind mother, call Dejan Milosevic at 061 171 4045. You can make a donation to the following bank account: 160-0000000509654-28 Udruzenje Gvozdeni puk Republike Srbije.

(Telegraf.rs)