As usual, Lilit was sleeping silently on the couch. Suddenly, a group of fifteen boys and girls entered the room carrying balloons and gifts.

They were members of the “Help the Children” Facebook group. Some were students and some were already working, but all had decided to visit Lilit on their day off.

Lilit had already met with some of the group members and remembered Karen from a previous visit. In a few minutes, the drab trailer was quickly filled with laughter and life.

Lilit and her guests quickly became friends, playing with the dolls they had brought as presents. Lilit named the largest doll Hasmik.

During our visit today Lilit had no coughing spells. She was enjoying herself so much that there wasn’t time to think about her medical ailment.

She and her brother Benik decorated the holiday tree, a new addition to their home. Lilit really got a kick from having the tree and getting a chance to adorn it with the lights and bulbs.

While the girls were decorating the tree, the boys were busy affixing decorations to the rough walls of the trailer.

Lilit never showed a hint of tiring and wanted to participate in everything that was going on. Her energy seemed to rub off on her guests who did their best to keep up with Lilit and Benik on decorating the tree.

We stayed for two hours and made new friends; all on account of Lilit.

We agreed that next time Lilit would be our guest in Yerevan.

Next time, instead of the trailer home, we would meet up under the huge holiday tree in Republic Square.

From there, we’d show Lilit the best that Yerevan has to offer a young girl full of life – a girl who has no time to be sick.

All of us commented on how Lilit had broken free from her self-imposed shell. She was now smiling and playing like a girl of her age should.

Lilit wants her mother to smile as well, scolding her when she cries.

The visitors handed 100,000 AMD to Lilit’s mother. The Facebook group had taken up a collection.

Before we left, Lilit and Benik sat down and wrote letters to Dzmer Papik (Father Christmas) in the hope that their wishes would come true.