Day Two of Healing Little Hearts in Romania
It’s day two for Gift of Life International in Romania! This morning the Grigore Alexandrescu Emergency Children’s Hospital ICU was very busy. We had the Minister of Health stop by, the surgical patients from yesterday walked around, and some of our team even got interviewed by a local news station!
Alexandru Rafila, Minister of Health in Romania, visited Gift of Life International and was interviewed by a local news station at Grigore Alexandrescu Emergency Children’s Hospital.
CEO Rob Raylman being interviewed by a local news station.
Victor Martin being interviewed by a local news station. Victor Martin used to be the president of the Pipera Rotary Club and is a big leader of Gift of Life Romania.
Dr. Francesco Santoro, one of our surgeons from Italy, being interviewed by the local news station.
Recovery and Recuperation
This morning the two children who received surgery yesterday were focusing on their recovery and recuperation! Rest is crucial for recovery, but so is movement! Getting up and walking around helps the junk in each patient’s chest after surgery break up, making it easier for them to breathe.
Stephania walking around the ICU with her mother and one of the local nurses.
Stephania walking around the ICU with her mother and one of the local nurses.
Stephania received a hug from Nicolas, one of the cath patients from yesterday.
During her walk, Stephanie was able to say goodbye to a new friend she had made. Nicolas received his catheterization procedure yesterday and was able to leave this morning. He just so happened to be leaving while Stephania was out and about. They were able to say goodbye to each other and give one last hug!
Stephania with part of the team of visiting nurses.
Stephania also made friends with part of the visiting nursing team and some of the local nurses this morning! The nurses were able to clean her up, get her dressed in comfortable pajamas she brought from home, and braid her hair.
While waiting for more surgical cases to come out of the operating room, the visiting and local nurses let Stephania pick out temporary tattoos for everyone for fun! Stephania picked out a temporary tattoo for every that she said “fits their personality”. These interactions will help Stephania to feel more at ease through the rest of her recovery here at the hospital. Building connections with patients allows them to feel safe and more comfortable on their healing journey!
Pictured here is Stephania, nurse Jordyn Cameron, nurse Michaela Behrmann, nurse Margaret Gosland, social media coordinator Kaitlyn Hales and Stephania’s mother!
After Stephania was able to get up and walk around, it was Nour’s turn!
Nurse Jordyn Cameron helping Nour get out of bed.
Nour walking with one of the local nurses (left) and visiting nurse Michaela Behrmann (right).
Nour walked around for a little bit with one of the local nurses and Nurse Michaela Behrmann, then he made his way back to bed and slept for the rest of the afternoon.
Hope Leads to Healing
Today’s surgeries were done on Evelina and Eric!
Evelina waiting for surgery in the hospital.
Evelina was diagnosed with a ventricular septal defect (VSD), atrial septal defect (ASD), and patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). All of these cause blood flow issues within the heart, as well as high blood pressure that affects the arteries in the lungs and right side of the heart. Evelina’s treatment included placing patches over the ASD and VSD, and then tying up the PDA so that the heart’s blood flow would return to normal!
Visiting nurse, Jordyn Cameron, listens intently to information to help keep Evelina stable right after her surgery.
Local nurse, Alina, helps to care for Evelina right after her surgery.
Nurse Alina has been here at Grigore Alexandrescu Emergency Children’s Hospital for nine years, but has been a nurse for fifty! She said she lives an hour away from the hospital and takes the bus or metro everyday to get to and from work. Alina told us she still loves nursing even after all this time!
Evelina is recovering extremely well and we will check back in on her later in the week to see how her little heart continues to heal.
Eric before his surgery today.
Eric is one and a half years old and was diagnosed with a ventricular septal defect. He had surgery to patch up the hole in his heart and has been doing great ever since.
Eric is a cheerful, jubilant child. When we talked to him before his surgery he would not stop smiling and moving around. What a wiggle worm! Eric is so sweet and loves to share his toys with and wave at anyone who walks in the room, even if he has never met them before. He lights up a room with his smile and warms the hearts of whoever is around!
Here are two fun facts about Eric: he is a foster child and he has a twin, Nicolas! Their foster mother said she began fostering Nicolas at 3 months old and Eric at 6 months old. Yesterday before surgery, Eric was Facetiming his brother and they were able to have a little bit of virtual playtime before Eric spends the next few days healing.
Eric and his mother facetime Eric’s twin, Nicolas.
Eric’s mother told us that Nicolas is much bigger than Eric is, and also plays with more energy. Eric’s VSD caused him to grow slower due to a failure to gain weight, as eating is a taxing activity for children with congenital heart disease due to their shortness of breath and already fast heart rate. This is also what causes him to not be able to play with as much energy as other children. Now that Eric has had surgery he will be able to keep up with his twin brother as they continue growing and playing!
Tiny Incision, Tremendous Impact
Catheterization procedures also continued today! Did you know catheterization procedures are when an interventionalist (in this case Dr. Herbert Stern) goes into the heart with a flexible tube (called a catheter) to repair it by placing a device in the heart? It is a non-invasive procedure! Today we treated two cath patients.
Marian before his catheterization procedure.
Giorgina resting after her catheterization procedure.
Marian, the sweet child from yesterday’s blog, received his procedure today along with Giorgina. Both patients are now at rest in the ICU. They will both be much more energetic and healed tomorrow, and will probably even get to go home!
The Ongoing Journey of Healing
Dr. Gabe Owens and Jordyn Cameron look at X-rays in the ICU.
As our second day in Bucharest draws to a close, the impact of heart healing procedures continues to resonate. Each successful procedure represents not just a medical triumph, but a step towards a healthier, brighter future for children in Romania. The dedication of the medical teams is truly inspiring to witness! Tomorrow brings new opportunities to heal more hearts and create more stories of hope, a testament to the power of compassion and skilled care working hand in hand.
