Sergey and Elena Khvostenok moved from Belarus to Poland with their two daughters 2.5 years ago due to political persecution. In exile, Sergey suddenly developed extremely high blood pressure, and doctors delivered shocking news — his kidneys had failed. To save her husband’s life, Elena made a courageous decision: to donate one of her own kidneys.
We were forced to leave our hometown of Polotsk for Gdańsk because the authorities in Belarus were persecuting my husband. He worked at the Naftan oil refinery and had been a member of the opposition organization “Rukh za Svabodu” (Movement for Freedom) for more than 10 years. He was detained three times.
He served 15 days for a sticker with the Pahonia coat of arms, 10 days for reposting a Belsat article about the 2014 Ice Hockey World Championship, and 25 days for a photo with the white-red-white flag.
In November 2022, security forces searched the apartment of Sergey’s mother, where he was officially registered. She managed to warn us. My husband packed in ten minutes and left the country. That evening, officers came to our home. I learned that he was being charged under five articles of the Criminal Code, including insulting authorities and a judge, defamation, and threatening violence against a police officer.
Six months later, our two daughters and I joined him in Poland, and we began rebuilding our lives in exile. My husband worked as a taxi driver; I worked as an accountant.
Then disaster struck from an unexpected direction.
In October last year, Sergey was applying for a new job and underwent a medical check-up. The doctor measured his blood pressure — 250 over 160 — and was shocked. “I don’t understand how you walked in here on your own,” she said, sending him immediately to a family doctor, then to emergency care. He was hospitalized. It turned out that both of his kidneys had essentially stopped functioning. Without treatment, he could die.
I cannot describe what I felt when I heard that. Shock, hysteria, tears. But in front of my husband and children, I do not cry. I always say: “These are temporary difficulties. Everything will be fine.”
Sergey was offered dialysis. But dialysis means disability and almost no chance of stable employment — three times a week, four hours in the hospital each time. And life expectancy on dialysis is relatively limited. I want my husband to live.
Since we share the same blood type (B positive), I decided to become his donor. I underwent all the necessary tests and examinations. My kidney is compatible.
However, while I was going through testing, I lost my job. I am currently searching for new employment, but it is difficult. At the moment, we are living only on Sergey’s income — he works as a taxi driver whenever he is not in the hospital.
Doctors are monitoring his condition. For now, he is in a borderline state and can still avoid dialysis (a body that has not undergone dialysis accepts a transplanted organ better).
The transplant surgery is scheduled for March. If everything goes well, my recovery will take about one month, and Sergey’s around three months. During that time, neither of us will be able to work. But we still need to feed our children, pay rent, and cover basic living expenses.
And that does not even include medications. We do not yet know whether they will be fully covered or if we will have to purchase them ourselves, nor what other medical expenses may arise.
Our family’s essential monthly expenses — rent, food, and basic needs for two children — amount to at least 7,000 PLN per month (approximately €1,661). We currently have no financial cushion to survive this period. In fact, we have already borrowed money to pay the rent.
But I believe that caring Belarusians will help us, that we will get through this, and that everything will be alright.
Fundraising goal
€4800
€3400 — rent and utilities for three months
€1400 — food for a family of four and medications for both spouses