Alina (name changed) is a woman living with HIV, holding a disability status in Poland, and currently in a very vulnerable condition. She required a planned hip replacement surgery — a procedure that could significantly improve her quality of life and potentially help her walk again.

At the beginning of 2026, she was informed that the surgery could not be performed and was postponed indefinitely. In practice, this was a refusal, as her UKR status was not recognized by the healthcare system as valid insurance coverage.

Alina is bedridden and requires constant care, mostly provided by her children. In addition to HIV, she has a history of tuberculosis and needs regular medical monitoring and life-saving medication.

Previously, the facility where she stays provided transport to medical appointments. However, one day the ambulance did not arrive.
“I was told the transport was canceled because my UKR status is not recognized as insurance. I didn’t know what to do next,” Alina says.

Her access to medication also became more complicated: prescriptions that were previously reimbursed were later issued at full cost.

In this situation, Alina turned to Fundacja HelpNowHUB.

The Foundation does not shy away from complex cases — on the contrary, this is where support is most needed. A consultant assessed the case and advised her daughter to apply to MOPS as a low-income person with a disability, which could help secure state health insurance.

“I was in despair because it wasn’t just one problem — it was a chain: surgery, transport, therapy, medication. But when someone explained the next steps, I felt we were not alone,” she says.

The situation remains unresolved. Alina currently has a one-month supply of therapy, and her daughter can temporarily collect medication. However, the issue of insurance remains critical.

“We are grateful that we were not turned away, even though the situation is complicated. It matters to know there are people who are not afraid to help in such cases,” she adds.

Sometimes support is not an immediate solution. Sometimes it is a path that must be taken step by step. But it is exactly from this that the possibility begins to restore a person’s access to treatment, dignity, and hope.

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This publication was prepared by Fundacją HelpNow HUBwithin the framework of the project “From heart to heart” in partnership with Fundacja Step by Step and Fundacja Res Humanae, with financial support from the Elton John AIDS Foundation.