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Tuesday, 04 September 2007 |
This is
where you can learn about our special needs projects. For Further details see our newsletters and reports past and present. Click here to read about how you can help.
Gloria
was invited to speak at the RENINCO conference held in Onesti in May
1997. She spoke of her ideas for a network based on the ideals of Contact-a-Family
in the UK (www.cafamily.org.uk) She spoke of the importance to families
with special needs for the dissemination of information, self-help
and integration into society and into schools.
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June
1998: Luciana (middle front row) has cerebral palsy and was the first
special needs child in Bucharest to be integrated into the school system. However, as she grew older there were many problems to be overcome. Today, one of our members, David, who lives in Bucharest, still hasn't found anywhere suitable in the State sector, though privately run centres are available at a price. Davidhas cridu chat syndrom associated with microcephaly, developmental delays including speec and gross motor skills, hypotonia and cronic constipation. David is being looked after a home by his family on whom he is totally dependent. |
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with families is a very important part of our work. Through the FORUM
Newsletter we have met parents whose children are HIV+. We have exchanged information and given moral support to families in
the Hunedoara region, Suceava, Brasov, Galati and Bucharest. This photograph
of Madalina, holding a photo of her English penfriend, represents the
families with whom we have come into contact.
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Easter
1997:Gloria and Jan entertaining special needs children at the Binecuvintati
Copiii day centre in Onesti. We can turn our hands to almost anything!
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| Amalia
and her daughter Andrea were introduced to us in November 1997 by a
radio amateur. She needed to talk to someone. Andrea has microcephaly
and cannot see. Her mothered offered to form a small self-help group
of mothers with children having similar problems as Andrea. |
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We can sometimes provide sensory and feeding equipment. |
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| We regularly
keep in touch with all our families either directly or through correspondence and through
our Trustees in Romania. We have offered advice and moral support and have done our best to provide medication, wheelchairs and electric mattressess. In this photo we see that Andreea no-longer needed the pushchair we provided and it was passed on to another child. An invalid buggy was also passed on from one member to another family in a different town. Families can keep in touch with each other. |
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This young man lived in a flat for orphans in Alexandria. We
consulted a specialist on his behalf, when he needed advice on his
deformed fingers. However, he could write and embroider his own designs
beautifully. |
| Sometimes the son or daughter is an adult. This is Ionul. He
cannot see and needed operations to help him to walk. He is a shortwave
listener and was introduced to us by a radio amateur. He is cared for
by his parents. We helped lonul to repair his home after it was severely damaged by floods.
More information
about some of our families can be found on our "Sponsors" page.
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Sometimes
we are invited to meetings by parents and specialists: May 1998 - at
the Braila Social Services building. We hope to return to each place
we visit. For instance, we have been invited to return to Sibiu to
work with a group of mothers, whose children have cerebral palsy and
who meet together regularly. |
| May
1998 - at "The White House" - the town hall in Alexandria. Network
Gloria was invited to meet local parents, specialists and the press
to put across it's ideas and to answer questions.
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November
1997 - Constanta: explaining to the media the ideals of Network Gloria.
Contact-a-Family's
Directory of Specific Conditions and Rare Disorders can be seen open
on the table.
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Network
Gloria has also made contact with some national bodies concerned with
people with disabilities. |
| Special
Needs Resource Library for all ages: activities are lent to families
we have regular contact with. They can be tried out and then returned
just like books. In this way it will become clear which is most useful
in stimulating movement and understanding or which is just difficult
or boring. Feeding utensils can also be tried out.
This "Busy
Book" is simple to make and is designed to help stimulate fine motor
control. Please contact Network Gloria if you can make any or if you
have good ideas for other pages.
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<This
page in the Busy Book helps fingers and brains make sense of hooks
and eyes in a fun way.
This page helps with counting and teaches how to cope with press studs. >
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We
are always looking out for new activities including any for teenagers
and adults. Please contact Network Gloria if you think you can help
in any way. We do not believe that expensive is always the best and
show how some activities can be home-made and can be very effective.
Through home visits we can advise on ways to make life easier. Here
Jan is measuring a child to have a chair made that would help her to
sit up comfortably instead of lying down all the time. We also advise
on language and communication difficulties and can suggest programmes
where none are offered from other sources. When asked we offer advice
on general care, education and behaviour management. Some of our families
have physical and medical problems. We listen, and if asked, offer
some advice. We rely on sponsors to help in any way possible. |
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 24 March 2010 )
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