“The ‘Duchenne March’ planned for Sunday will go ahead, but it will be a march of gratitude,” said Kakha Tsikarishvili, the parent of a child with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, as he addressed journalists following the meeting with Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze at the Government Administration.

Tsikarishvili also confirmed that the daily protest rallies would now come to an end.

“The march planned for Sunday will take place so that we may express our gratitude to our supporters, to the whole of Georgia, and equally to the authorities, who arrived at this decision. And with this decision, our children’s lives have already been saved. We have achieved the best possible outcome for our children’s lives. I wish to congratulate our children; they will receive their medicine. I want to congratulate the parents who have tirelessly fought for so long and dedicated their entire lives to this struggle. I congratulate all of our supporters, who spent sleepless nights outside the chancellery, who were anxious alongside us, who stood with us through so much. I wish to congratulate the whole of Georgia, because our victory is Georgia’s victory. There can be no question, no shadow of doubt, as to whom this victory belongs. It belongs to everyone. It belongs to all of Georgia.

Our demand was ‘medicine for the children’, and our children will receive their medicine. First and foremost, a decision has been taken on two medications. As for the remaining two, they too will be considered within the working group format. We could not, in all fairness, issue an ultimatum to the authorities on that front, because even the first two medications represent a tremendous achievement for us. Those other two will be the subject of further discussions. At this stage, we are satisfied; this is the fruit of our struggle. As regards therapies, examinations are now free of charge. There are a few tests that are still not yet funded, but we are likely to reach an agreement on those as well, ensuring that all tests are covered. As for clinical trials, we have also reached an understanding that for several medications currently under research, both the authorities and we ourselves will do everything in our power to ensure that our children can participate in those clinical trials, which will be free of charge,” said Kakha Tsikarishvili.

For reference, a working group is to be established with the participation of the Georgian Ministry of Health and the parents of affected children, tasked with actively working to secure specific medications for children living with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.