“GO, WOMAN, BUT I WON’T PUT MY SON IN A HOME!” Devoted father Dejan fights like a lion for his Luka (13), who is seriously ill! And he takes care of six more children… (PHOTO)

Little Luka Nikolov (13) suffers from muscular dystrophy, accompanied by muscle atrophy, epilepsy, and other problems. Unfortunately, the condition is incurable, leaving him “confined” to bed and in need of constant, round-the-clock care. His father Dejan is ready to do anything for him, spending his days in the forest doing hard physical labor to provide for the family.

Since separating from his former wife, Dejan has been living with Žaklina, who had three children from her previous marriage—Nikolina (12), Jovan (9), and Una (8). Together, they have Vasilije (5), Andrej (3), and Darija (2). Believe it or not, they are expecting their eighth child at the end of April!

“There are no ‘my’ or ‘his’ children, we are all one family!”

“In our house, there are no ‘my’ or ‘his’ children—we are one united family. The children never leave Luka—they keep him company, read books to him, sing together… Unfortunately, because of his weakened hands, he cannot feed himself or read. We have to be around him constantly,” says mother Žaklina, a woman worthy of great respect, as she not only takes care of all the children but also prepares pastries, cakes, and food for celebrations when there are orders, and in the summer helps Dejan with cutting wood.

Luka is a kind boy who, despite his health problems, has a cheerful spirit and a great sense of humor. He even insisted on giving an interview himself. He wanted his voice not to remain only within the small room where he spends all his days, but to be heard around the world!

“I like to study, but after 20 minutes my spine starts to hurt…”

“When they do homework, I lie here alone. I can’t sit even for 20 minutes, my spine starts to hurt and they put me back in bed. A teacher comes once a week, so I learn letters, numbers, we draw a bit. I like math, English, geography, and history—in fact, I like all subjects. My uncle comes to cut my hair. He earns money and brings us chocolates. He’s a good uncle, he listens to all of us,” Luka told us, adding with a smile that he loves Belgrade, but it’s far away.

The Nikolov family does not have their own home and has moved multiple times, wherever they could find accommodation for such a large family. Luka’s condition forced them to move to Beli Breg near Leskovac, where there is a school for children with developmental difficulties.

Living as tenants is difficult for anyone, especially for them. They dream of having their own small house in a village, with a yard and facilities for animals.

“Mom told us you would come to ask what we want you to buy for us, so I got ready. I would like to live in my own house and have a yard, so I can go outside and see what’s there. And to have animals—I love them. And a comfortable wheelchair, this old one doesn’t fit me anymore, I can’t position myself properly. I would like to play more and sit with the other children. And if possible, I’d like you to bring Dragana Mirković so I can meet her,” Luka shared his list of wishes.

“So I can watch cartoons when I’m alone!”

Although immobile, every word he spoke touched the heart—bringing laughter, sadness, and a strong desire to give him everything he deserves. The room where he stays and the house they live in lack proper conditions. There is cold, broken windows, water shortages, electricity debt, and many other problems they struggle with.

“I would also like to have a TV in my room because the old one is broken, so I can watch cartoons when I’m alone,” he added.