Securing Legal Guardianship to Access Essential Medical Care

Yulia (*fictional name) is in her sixties and has been living in Poland for a few years with her six grandchildren and her youngest son, who is 18. Two of the grandchildren have serious health conditions, including one child with a severe disability requiring ongoing medical care. She looks after them alone; the family fled their war-torn town in Ukraine after her son-in-law was killed in the war and her daughter died due to illness. 

After arriving in Poland, Yulia created a new home for her family. Despite the language barrier and complicated bureaucratic procedures, the children were attending kindergartens, schools, high schools, and specialised institutions for children with disabilities. 

Yulia was in the process of legalising her guardianship over the grandchildren when one of her grandchildren was admitted to hospital. The child needed surgery, but Yulia could not give consent because she did not yet have legal guardianship over the children.  At this key moment, Yulia contacted ELIL, looking for a solution so that her grandchild could have this essential surgery. 

ELIL’s lawyer analysed the situation, reviewed the documents, and worked directly with medical staff to identify a solution. Through this intervention, an appropriate procedure was agreed upon, and the surgery took place without delay. 

ELIL’s support helped resolve the legal obstacle, ensured timely medical treatment for the child, and brought reassurance to a grandmother carrying extraordinary responsibility for her family.

*Personal details have been changed to protect the anonymity of the applicant.