Holt Romania
FOUNDATION OF CONSULTANCY AND SOCIAL SERVICES FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES
Case story – March 2007
Every child needs to be healthy in
order to enjoy his childhood
Gheorghe Madalina-Valentina is almost nine yeas old. She belongs to a family which has four children. She is the oldest one. Unfortunately three of the four children of the family are having some medical problems and, the parents feel overwhelmed and don’t know how to deal with this situation anymore. Only the father works, but he receives the minimal wage.
Madalina suffered two surgical interventions: one for hernia and one for adenoids growths. At the moment the girl has another health problem: for a couple of months now, she started not to hear so well; and as one goes along this problem worsen and Madalina loses her hearing. She hears less and less now, and this situation creates obstacles in her every day life, as well as at school, although she has only very good marks. It comes more and more difficult to her to keep track of all school activities. The mother wishes to take Madalina to a doctor, but their financial situation doesn’t allow it, and therefore she postpones the programming to a specialist.
Of all the littlest children, two are twins and one of them, Gheorghe Danut, is facing the same medical problems as his older sister. The mother says that he too started to hear less and less each day. Like in Madalina’s case the visit to the specialist is postponed, because the money that the children’s father manages to earn each month aren’t enough not even for the daily food.
The family’s cadet, Gheorghe Andrei, who is only three years old was recently diagnosed with inguinal hernia, and needs also a medical check- up. Moreover, he might need a surgery as soon as possible.
The two parents make sure that in the family there is a harmonious atmosphere, and they try to make a good example for their four children. The mother takes a great care of them and tries to do her best so that they don’t miss a thing: food, clothes and school supplies. She pays lots of attention to children’s and house’s hygiene. But the little ones are very much loved and cared also by their father, whenever he is at home.
The parents are very concerned about their children’s health; they are aware of the fact that three of their children need immediate medical assistance and hence financial support in order to be able to start and pursue all the necessary medical investigations.
Considering the difficult situation of the family, Holt Foundation decided to support them through specific services such as: counseling, information, guidance, follow- up, access to community resources, moral and material support consisting in food supplies, clothes, medicines and medical investigations.
Case story – March 2007
A perfect life!
“An oppressive silence ...Nothing can be heard?!...Why? …why doesn’t he cry, why doesn’t he scream, why doesn’t he say something?”
Her pulse rose, and the mother felt that the panic was embracing her. As if, her own thoughts were deafening her. She was screaming inside and she was feeling that she can’t breathe.
“They said everything will be fine…then, why nothing hears?!”
A kind face came close to her and smiled. It caressed her hair and told the mother to calm down and explain everything to her. The kind words didn’t calm down the woman. On the contrary, they were a way to confirm that something was wrong.
“My baby, where is my baby? Is he fine? Is he alive?” her eyes began to hope.
“He is alive…..but…..”
Nine years have past since then. The kind face announced her that the boy she gave birth to was in clinical death and he was kept alive by some special machines. She was explained all the consequences of that situation. She now remembers only some parts of that discussion. Everything she knew back then was that she decided to do everything in her power to keep her baby alive. …She fought a lot for Alex, and she will fight for the rest of her life.
He was diagnosed with cerebral paralysis. Even though he doesn’t talk very well Alex understands everything. He can’t walk but he can sit down. He draws a lot although he makes great efforts in order to move his hands. His mother has taught him to smile all the time. She has always talked to him with calm, explained everything without getting tired and offered him a feeling of security and love.
A year after Alex’s birth, Florentina was born. The mother gave birth to her at home because she was afraid to go to the hospital. Fortunately, the girl is very well. She is a pupil in the first grade and she has very good marks at school. Alex loves her very much and he is very happy each time she comes home from school. After Florentina does her homework, they play together.
The mother is very happy. She has learned during all these years not to ask herself: “Why Alex?” She knows now that Alex has his own role on Earth and for her, he is…perfect. He is her little Prince. Twice a week, she takes Alex to his physiotherapy sessions and even the smallest progresses that he makes, fills her with joy. The mother knows in her heart that if she offers Alex much love and patience …he will recover.
Alex taught her to see which the most important things in life are. She remembers those moments when she was all the time dissatisfied, when she wanted …a perfect life. Now, she can’t wait for the evenings to read the goodnight story for her kids, she can’t wait for the physiotherapy sessions when is able to see the hope in Alex’s eyes, she can’t wait for the summer days when she takes Alex with her in the garden, so that he enjoys the sun. She can’t wait for the mornings, because they mean a new day in which Alex could learn something new.
Now, her life is… perfect, because she has love, hope, contentment in her heart and a good reason to live for.
The family was registered in Holt Organization’s evidence this month. Because Alexandru’s physiotherapy sessions are so expensive the family manages very hard the situation. The mother is hired as Alexandru’s permanent assistant. The father works as a day labourer. The family stays in the house of the grandparents, who now are dead. The house has two rooms and a hall. Near the house there is a garden in which the family cultivates vegetables. The parents’ relationship is a harmonious one and their main preoccupation is to take care of the children. This month the family has received from Holt Organization foodstuffs and hygiene products.
Case story – March 2007
THE JOY OF WALKING
How many times did you thought about the great joy of walking on your own legs? Probably, this is natural for us; and we care too little the fact that every day we walk long or short distances; often without to appreciate this blessing.
At the village’s ledge with a beautiful name, is the house of a family who has three members who cannot enjoy this gift: of walking. This disability descended from the father to two of his daughters; and that is making him very sad. Tereza and Mandra are two cuddlesome and friendly little girls. Although they cannot walk without a great effort and only for short distances (around the house), that isn’t an adamant for them to smile. The girls would like to go to school, but that’s a dream which is hard to accomplish because they live far from school and the girls cannot walk. The family, composed from six members, is very poor and the living conditions are very precarious. In the only room they have, there are two beds where hardly can sleep two adults and five children. In their little house there is no electricity and current water. The mother is the one who goes in the forest for woods; she is also the one who axes the wood for fire. Their little stove is improper for cooking and warming, so that in the house everything is smoky. In such conditions, the family fights for survival: in winter, the terrible cold; in summer, the stifling heat. Although the existential conditions are very hard, the greatest wish of the father and the girls is to walk. This would be their greatest happiness. Then, they could do everything that at the moment is just a dream: to go to school, to play and to communicate with other children. The whole family is hoping that the last born child, Dumitru who is five months old, did not inherit this disability.
Their hopeful smiles encourage, but they can give us also a lesson: how much do we appreciate what we have and… how do we use what we have?
Archive: 2006 /