WINTER NEWSLETTER 2003/2004

We have tried to give as much news in as small a space as possible! Teresa, who suffers from lupus syndrome and osteoporosis, has had two hip operations and is still in hospital "so full of pain and suffering". Jan Francis, one of our trustees, returned at the end of February 2004 from a week of visiting our families. She reports that, while Teresa was given antibiotics and an anaesthetic for her latest operation, she had no pain killers as she could not afford to pay for them. Victor, Cristina’s father and our new secretary, is making contact with our families who do not have access to email, such as Carmen, Cristina and Costel. Adrian, who won an illustrator’s award in the USA, will be sending us one of his paintings to help us with fundraising. We are waiting to see the children’s book he has illustrated. He has been painting the window panes in the Malteza Day Centre for special needs children in Cluj. He and Gabi, their physiotherapist, have trained in circus activities and are looking for juggling balls and Chinese plates, so that they can train the children! Adrian’s son Vlad, who has spina bifida, had his head shunt successfully replaced in Berlin. Adrian writes: "I assure you of all my gratitude and my readiness to help in my turn on any occasion, whenever and whatever is needed." Adrian represented us recently on a training course on alternative therapy in Iasi. Marian after his operation is learning to walk for the first time in his life, uses his supports every day and can stand unaided. Our friends from the Magic Theatre ask if there is a sponsor to help add to their savings for a minibus to transport their puppets and other resources bringing laughter to disadvantaged people of all ages. Iacob (Bucharest) has multiple sclerosis and is looking for a light-weight wheelchair which can be loaded into his car and so help him keep his job. The donated double baby buggy which Susan Chislett of Alitalia had flown to Bucharest has been really appreciated by Melania and Sorin who use it for their new baby son Eric and his elder brother David who has cri du chat syndrome. Having a baby brother has really helped to stimulate David, who is still very partial to Bisto, which helps his food to go down…Minodora’s brother managed to find the drug Solian to help him with his severe depression. Minodora, who has cerebral palsy, has been sent some very smart special bibs suitable for adults. Mirabela (Rosiorii de Vede) reports her young neighbour Scarlat, paralysed in an accident, needs £150 to help him attend special therapy sessions this year at Mangalia. His doctor says that time spent at this recuperation centre may help to improve his condition. Network Gloria has given him a wheelchair. From Ploiesti we hear from Bebe, also paralysed following an accident. Some sponsorship would help his mobility. Razvan, Bogdan (from Cimpina)and Luciana (Bucharest) are still receiving Neobros regularly to help them cope with their cerebral palsy. Luciana is having special tests on her eyes and investigation on her palate to help with her speech problem. Stefan (Bucharest), injured in a hit and run accident, has had his Risatarum drug stopped for one year by his doctor. He needs sponsorship for a regular supply of medium-sized incontinence pads. Florenta (Bucharest) runs a parent group and is in touch with Melania and Victor. Dr.Tita (Alexandria), who was provided with some items for her special needs day centre by Exxon Mobil through the Network, has new premises. She had invited us to participate in an EU-funded project concerning young people with alcohol addiction, but we had to decline the invitation on this occasion. With our help Liana (Bucharest) managed to trace the importers of the drug which could help her severe kidney failure, but it is still not freely available in the hospitals. Alin (Zimnicea) has been helped out of his depression brought on by his illness (muscular dystrophy). He keeps sending us cheery messages on the computer donated by two sponsors. In this way he can keep in touch with the outside world: "Everything is going great!" Claudiu (Zimnicea,) paralysed by an accident except for his fingers, thanks us for the incontinence pads which help him leave his house and join his friends in the park. He has now moved from a flat in a block to a single floor cottage. This has helped a great deal, but his second-hand electric wheelchair cannot be repaired and he is in need of sponsorship for a replacement. Andreea (Zimnicea) has been writing to her sponsors in English, but she still needs much support to return her to full health.Alice (Bucharest) received her Harry Potter book for her birthday. Mariana (Calarasi) wants to establish a parent group. She thanks us for her daughter Anca’s reclinable wheelchair: "It is a very good one and very comfortable. I met Dana. She was very kind and I told her if I can help with something, just ask me. I shall send you a photo of Anca and the wheelchair as soon as I can." In October we sent goods by truck and Dana and her team picked up and distributed the goods from Comanesti, about six hours’ journey from Bucharest. We are grateful in particular for our friend Brother Mihai from Radio SOS, a Christian radio station in Ploiesti. He gave his support by providing two minibuses to help with the distribution. He writes: "It was my pleasure to help. I believe God is using each of us in his mighty way." Dana tells us that many people were helped by the goods and became helpers in turn. A UK supporter writes: "I am astonished by what you have achieved and deeply touched at the honour of being involved in a very small way myself." Alin and Mihaela (Galati) both received bicycles (a dream come true). They both are HIV+ and Alin at last goes to school like Mihaela. He has been receiving a drug, experimental for now in Romania. It has made a difference and the trial will be extended for another year. Many thanks to Saunders Medical in Rochester for their generous donation of incontinence pads and other sanitary items. Some of these will go to Cristina who is blind and has severe learning difficulties. Thank you, too, for the items donated by Blythswood International Care including the exercise bike for Georgian (Galati) who has charcoot marie tooth syndrome. The actual departure of the goods was fraught with difficulties this time, but we were greatly aided by Eileen, Graham and David from Noke Street Farm, near Rochester where we were given storage space in a barn. Moira, Janet and Judith oversaw the loading and Graham helped them and the Romanian driver with the fork-lift truck. It was just as well as our new friends Pat and John had provided beautiful electric invalid vehicle, destined for Claudiu and picked up by Robin from their home in Worthing with the help of a borrowed horse box! Thank you Marlies for the loan of the horse-box. Claudiu’s father writes: "Thank you for all your help. I shall send a photo of Claudiu with the car." (It may well be the only one in Romania.) The inventory was long: eighty-seven items, including art and craft materials for a centre for HIV girls and items for special needs centres and for individual families. So thank you everybody for your efforts, to friends old and new. Our new friend Florin (Alexandria) had to have his hands and legs amputated because of a severe form of arthritis. He thinks of others before he thinks of himself, but we imagine he desperately needs a sponsor to help with his day-to-day basic needs and with keeping warm. We have been shocked to hear that our treasurer and trustee in Bucharest Toma had his foot amputated because of diabetes. He is slowly recovering from his depression and hopes to drive again one day especially as his son has serious mobility problems. He has also found out that his wife has leukaemia. Dana has told us she and Victor will be his legs and withdraw and distribute the monthly sponsorships in person or by postal order. Toma continues to see to the accounts. Dana adds, "We are working as a real team." Toma’s disabled son Laur reports that his father is feeling better, but that he cannot be helped by his father to get to work anymore and has to get a taxi or he loses his poorly-paid job. We have recently heard that Laur’s sponsor John has died after a short illness. This has saddened us all and we extend our sympathies to his wife Helen. Laur and his family hope that their own words and sincere friendship will bring some comfort. We have also heard that Alexandra’s husband, a doctor, was shot and killed in a hunting accident. He and his wife befriended Simonetta and Judith on their visit to Teleorman last March after they had attended the Arts Therapy Conference in Bacau. He had treated Dana’s sprained ankle. We extend our sympathy. Simonetta has been sent Alexandra’s ‘phone number. It will be easy to communicate as Alexandra teaches Italian in the High School in Zimnicea. Camelia (Zimnicea) reports that the brother and sister with TB have only sufficient sponsor money to last them until February. We are hoping to find them new sponsorship for £10 per month to provide some basic food. The family has lived without electricity for over three years. Dana, alerted by Camelia to Ionut’s plight, has visited him in hospital in Bucharest: "I encouraged them even if I had tears in my eyes. His mother cried almost all of the time." Ionut (20), a haemophiliac, has undergone a dental operation. Factor 8, which helps the blood coagulate, is no longer produced in Romania. There is only a limited annual allowance for each patient. Ionut cannot walk at present because of his bleeding joints and a brother has already died of the disease aged six years. Ionut had been in hospital waiting for another operation and we had been desperately trying to find the money to buy the medication through an import company which would not release any more Factor 8 to the hospital because it knew the hospital could not honour the payment. We were in direct contact with Ionut's hospital doctor, Dr.Luminita, who explained Ionut’s plight and put us in touch with the import company. Our trustee in Italy, Simonetta, could have obtained and sent the Factor 8 from Italy, but it would have cost more than buying it in Romania. We needed to find over £2000 and have never had to raise so much money so quickly to help save someone’s life. Camelia, his former teacher, wrote, "God help the Network to find a solution. It is amazing what you try to do." We are pleased to report that at our winter Quiz Night on the 29^th November Mitchem Cleaners offered to provide the necessary sponsorship. Cornel Bindea of Caritas Bucuresti has been helping us with advice and information, for which we have been grateful. Thank you to the Dante Alighieri School in Bucharest for hosting our parents’ meetings. Thanks to Raluca for her translations and to Liliana for her support. Raluca’s baby Isabella-Anne was christened on 23^rd October. Since the last newsletter we have had our AGM and two craft sales. Our handcrafted Christmas cards and other greetings cards by Janet and her team sell quickly, but can always be ordered throughout the year. We were pleased to see many friends old and new at our relaxing musical evening with the Fettuccine Opera Company On 14^th February at All Saints Church Hall, Frindsbury. Further details and a photograph of the evening will be added as soon as possible as well as the report on Jan Francis’s visit to Romania and news of future events.

Thank you to all our supporters for help received of any kind. We are all volunteers and appreciate what people do to help us with our work.

Apologies for delays in updating the website. We have been too busy living the Network and shall do our best to rectify the situation as soon as possible.

QUIZ

Don't forget to take part in our new spring 2004 quiz. Download it here in pdf format. Please post your completed answers to us by 31st May 2004.

CONTACTS

Please note our new contact details. Gloria and Robin Ackerley have moved to Cheshire where Network Gloria continues to network. They regularly travel back to Kent to attend the various fundraising events. Their new address is:

The Paddock
Stoney Lane
Delamere
Tarporley
Cheshire
CW6 0SX

Tel: 01829 752723

Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

For people wishing to contact our Kent branch, please contact Geoff and Jan Francis. Geoff is our treasurer:

6, St.Werburgh Crescent
Hoo
Rochester
Kent
ME3 9HJ

Tel: 01634 251267

Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it