Prison guards and a police officer walked from Belgrade to Ostrog to raise money for a boy's treatment

Seven guards from the District Prison in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, and one police officer successfully walked more than 400 kilometers from Belgrade to Ostrog in Montenegro to help raise as much money as possible for the treatment of seven-year-old boy Nemanja Ljutić, who is seriously ill from the consequences of a measles infection, it was announced today.

"The goal of the humanitarian pilgrimage is to raise as much money as possible for the costs of stem cell treatment abroad, physical therapy, speech therapy and defectology treatments, electrostimulation, orthopedic aids, for treatments in a hyperbaric chamber, as well as for travel expenses and accommodation for the boy and his family," the Directorate for the Execution of Criminal Sanctions said in a statement.

The boy, Nemanja Ljutić, suffers from subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, which occurred as a result of a direct measles infection, which is why he is immobile, has spasms in his arms and legs, does not follow with his eyes, but reacts to sound and is fed with the help of a tube that was placed in him as a preventive measure to prevent him from choking.

As it is added, the march participants gained the support of many individuals, organizations, media, and numerous believers during their journey, who welcomed them with applause at Ostrog.

"For the second time in a year, these humane people managed to walk 440 kilometers from the Rakovica Monastery, where the relics of the blessed Patriarch Pavle rest, to the Ostrog Monastery, where the relics of Saint Basil of Ostrog are located," said the director of the Administration for the Execution of Criminal Sanctions, Dejan Carević, adding that in March last year they also walked to Ostrog for eight-year-old Anastasija Zafirović, who suffers from cerebral palsy, so that she could continue her treatment abroad.