Updates–2012

Link to the 2012 Hospital Gallery here

November 2012 - Alin who is now 5 months old just keeps getting happier. Now he's trying to talk and has lots to say! We just got a 3 week old baby girl, Eva, and 2 month old Naomi who has been abandoned 3 times, back again. She now has love again in her life. Vanessa is getting stronger, we're waiting for the break-through with her to smile. With some babies it takes a long time, but they all eventually do.
Like fourteen year old Remus who has just started walking on his own, Aurica, also amazingly enough is now walking with Rodica's help. Her legs are extremely bent but she is delighted at her independence, to be able to decide where she wants to go! Zorita and Dorina are working with Evelin in this way too. They stand behind her and hold her, nudging her legs, and Evelin has learned to take steps. This is wonderful activity for these children and they love it.
The children in the state group home where Cornelia now works love her so much, they cling to her clothes and hands when it's time for her to leave. They've learned though that she always comes back!
Codi and Andrea have very full schedules with tons of homework, music lessons and Codi has swimming. Codi needs swimming for her back, Andrea chooses to swim in the summer. Friday night rehearsals have just started for the church Christmas play which the girls enjoy. Codi is Mary this year, and very happy about it.

September 2012 - It is wonderful how the babies change, being loved and fed well. You can see from the photo gallery pictures how Medalion has grown so beautifully. He’s 4 months old now and loves the cereal we give him. Erik was a tiny baby, having had 4 operations in his 2 month old life. He had deep frown lines in his forehead and no cheeks at all. He’s come along very well and now the difference can be seen in the last picture, the frown lines are gone and his face is rounding out. He yells the most when he wants to be picked up! Andrea came to us at 6 months old and 3.5 kg. She was a real little skeleton, in the first number of weeks she put on no weight at all, but now is getting heavier thanks to our cereal. She’s got such a happy, sweet personality. We’ve had another Maria grow wonderfully well. Just looking at her makes us smile.
It was very hot all summer with upper 30s temperatures, and our women in the state group homes were busy helping the children cope by giving them extra to drink and washes. It was a blessing for the children that they were there, as the government employees are not replaced when they go on vacation. That means there is only one of them taking care of 12 handicapped children, and this would have been the situation all summer if not for our women.
One of the children, 10 year old Aurica has been having more pain, and only because Rodica could accompany her, she spent 3 weeks in a rehabilitation hospital getting daily therapy. Conditions were primitive and Rodica had to sleep in the same bed as Aurica. The child really benefitted from this closeness to Rodica. Aurica made progress and the staff could see that Rodica’s patient loving presence was the biggest part of it. Rodica continues to work with Aurica, now that they are back in the group home.
Codi, Andrea and I had a great month with family and friends in Canada. It was wonderful for the girls to receive so much love from people they had never met before. Here, being in the ethnic minority, this warm acceptance is not in their daily experience. I was so happy for them.

July 2012 - We are so happy that Maria at 6 months old finally got placed in a foster family. She developed so well under Vera’s care and will make them happy too! We’ve had 4 month old Cosmin for a month now. He was very sick and needing oxygen, but now only needs aerosol treatments. He’s eating much better and is putting on weight. Two month old Medalion has a cleft palate and was very sick when we got him, but after a month of love and care he’s doing well now too.
In the state group home where our women have been working these past couple of months, loving relationships are being formed with the children. Samantha and Claudiu, both 14, run to the door to greet our women when they arrive, and go to the door to wave goodbye to them when they leave. Ovidiu pats their leg when they sit beside him. They nurture relationships between the children. Remus has a lot of fun making Evelin laugh with his clapping game. It really makes him happy. He points to himself when we talk to a child beside him, he needs to have attention too. Laura a much older and very handicapped child has a huge smile when she’s talked to. They are so needy of love and content when they get it.
Our women also work at getting the immobile children outside in the yard. Mirela one of these children is just delighted with the sun and breeze on her face and touching the grass and leaves. It is good our women are there.
Codi is busy with tutoring, both girls have swimming lessons, and they are counting the days until we leave for Canada. It has been 7 years since I’ve been home, and the girls are very excited to visit for their first time.

May 2012 - Our big news is that Dorina and Zorita are now working in a state group home for abandoned, handicapped children, like the one that Rodica works in. Evelin and Levente have been moved there, and this has been something we have wanted for a long time. We have wanted to be involved long term with these really neglected children who have been institutionalized all their lives. The lack of personnel in these houses is a very sad thing.
Fourteen year old Remus is so happy when Dorina helps him to stand. He gets around by crawling, but how happy he is to walk with her! The same with Erika, a girl who can’t walk on her own but enjoys it so much. The day I was there to see the children, she grabbed my legs and tried to pull herself up to stand. We went for a number of walks that morning. Our women are discovering what they can do to help these children. They see that the most important thing is love and attention.
Estera who has been tutoring my girls for the last few years is now working there at the house on Sundays to give Dorina and Zorita that day off. They work alternating 12 hour shifts 7 days a week and it has been hard. Estera was saying how happy the children were when she got them playing clapping games with each other. The interaction was such joy for them.
Evelin is doing very well there, she likes being with the children. Even though most of them can’t talk, they make noises that mean communication for Evelin. And she is “talking” more. Having her mamas with her helped her to adjust easily to the move, and she doesn’t mind sharing them with the other children!
Unfortunately we are not allowed to take pictures of the children, I’ll tell you about them through updates.
Vera continues her great work in the hospital and has helped Maria, now 5 months old, develop wonderfully as she still waits for a foster family. The months are going by in waiting, but Maria is happy, sitting by herself and learning to stand.
We received a baby dying of starvation and in kidney failure, Andras who is 2 1/2 months old. With Vera’s prayers, love and care he is daily changing for the better. Narcis is 3 months old, has been abandoned in the hospital, then taken home only to be brought back to the hospital after a few days very sick. He’s getting better too.
Codi and Andrea are finishing up their school year, Andrea well and Codi by the skin of her teeth. Her learning difficulties persist, but this new teacher of hers since last year has brought out the best in her, and we are thankful.

March 2012 - It’s been a busy winter taking care of lots of abandoned babies. Vera’s had a period with 8 babies, but just now an aunt has been found to take her 6 month old twin boys. Rodica is 2 months old and very sick, Flavius 2 months old and Attila 3 months old sleep a lot, and 2 month old Ioan is likely going into foster care. Happy 3 month old Maria has been approved for foster care and is waiting for a family. Iosif is 4 1/2 months old and quite delayed. He has a wise little face, who knows what he’s been through. Vera is lovingly trying to get him to develop.
Nicoleta, 7 months old, joined our children on the genetica side a number of weeks ago and she’s now learning to stand and sit. She’s a very happy baby and very responsive to love.
My second operation in February was a success though I needed to hire a university student part-time for help. Codi and Andrea love Mirela as much as she loves them and she’s a great help in many ways, also very appreciative of the work, not being able to find a job.

January 2012 - Some challenging months have passed for me resulting in an operation the beginning of December. A month later I’m still not able to be up much, but thanks to our dedicated women, our work with abandoned babies continues. Women from our church have been a wonderful help with bringing meals and cleaning, and friends took Codi and Andrea to their Christmas programs. I can only thank God that the problem was found and is being resolved.
At the hospital, Maria 2 months old and Nicoleta 3 months old have been with us most of their lives, and now Vera says Nicoleta has developed a wonderful laugh! Ioan who is 4 months old is now eating cereal and loving it. Narcisa and Claudiu both a month old are very sick, but being blessed and loved by Vera’s excellent care.
On the other section, David, Florica and Adriana, from 9 months to 1 1\2 years old have all spent most of their lives in the hospital, being sent home, but being brought back again. Sami is very handicapped like Soledad, but Dorina sees that massaging him helps him move his limbs. Divia who is 2 and been in the hospital most of her life has become a friendly active little girl who walks between the rooms and likes to rock and play with the smaller children. Evelin has developed a real love of singing and when one of our women says to her, “Let’s sing”, she immediately starts singing in her own unique way. Our women have these children covered in 12 hour shifts 7 days a week, so they are very well cared for and most importantly, loved.