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Healthcare: HOSPICE Casa Sperantei opened the first socio-medical center in Romania for children with incurable diseases
HOSPICE Casa Sperantei has inaugurated on Friday the first socio-medical center in Romania exclusively destined for children with incurable diseases and their families, romaniajournal.ro reports. Through the various types of therapies, from the classic to the revolutionary ones, through technology, the new center is unique not only in Romania, but also in the entire region.
The center, located in Adunatii Copaceni, on the scenic domain Florescu family had donated, comes following an investment of EUR 1.7 million, from sponsors and donations.
The buildings on the domain, including the mansion, a patrimony building, have been revamped and equipped and are now hosting a brand new unit with 12 beds that will provide children with palliative care and educational and therapy activities, a shelter for the families in drastic situations (six social apartments), an educational center, a daycare center for various occupational therapies, a building for physical therapy activities, a building for the summer camps, a therapy center for families and an educational center for the medical staff.
The representatives of the center said that, when the center is running at full capacity, it will be able to provide shelter and care for about 200 children. At the same time, around 300 children will be able to attend summer camps and 2,000 evaluation and therapy sessions will be organized.
“On behalf of our family, we wish to commend Graham Perolis and his superb team for bringing the Copaceni project to fruition. The road was longer, the hill was steeper, the obstacles unpredictable. But the site of these brave young Romanians have better lives as a result and our satisfaction is beyond words,” said John and Radu Florescu.
“I fell in love with the Manor at Adunatii Copaceni the first time I saw it. As I drove up towards it, through fields full of wild flowers, I could almost visualise our child patients sitting outside, enjoying the beautiful nature all around. I could hardly believe that the Florescu family were offering to give their former summer residence to our charity for the purpose of helping sick and vulnerable children. Six years later, the Manor House has been restored to its former glory and is now ready to receive children and families that have been affected by life limiting illnesses and need the special type of care that Hospice can offer. Friday 21st September will be a day of celebration to acknowledge the incredible generosity of all the donors that have made this exciting new project possible”, said in his turn Graham Perolls, founding president of HOSPICE Casa Sperantei, the one who brought the palliative care concept in Romania, 26 years ago.
“This day is special for HOSPICE and for pediatric palliative care. The first socio-medical center in Romania for children with incurable diseases and their families is a unique project not only in our country but in the region, and we are very grateful to all those who have helped us to bring this project to life. The renovation of some beautiful buildings but in a precarious condition was a great challenge, but with the help of sponsors and those who were next to us, we will be able to give the Florescu mansion back to society, which is a superb heritage building. We are still halfway, we still need support. We have completed the construction, but now starts the part of the endowment, equipping, buying medicine, training employees, etc. We hope that through this center we will make every day count for those who will find here accommodation and treatment, as well as a home for their families,” said Mirela Nemtanu, CEO HOSPICE Casa Sperantei.
The annual costs of the center (needs for the medical equipment, medicines and training of the staff), will mount to EUR 400,000. Companies and individual donors who want to support the initiative can find additional information on the foundation’s website.
Florescu family has donated the mansion to HOSPICE Casa Sperantei in 2013, to turn it into a center for children affected by genetic or incurable diseases, like cancer, cystic fibrosis or muscular dystrophy.
The architect and the initial owner of the mansion are not known, but the year of the constuction is estimated to have been around 1897. The mansion was bought in 1920 by Richard Soepkez, the CEO of Marmorosch Bank and senator representing the Peasant Party. Soepkez used to spend the summers at the mansion, next to his grandchildren: Radu Niculae Alexandru Richard (born in 1925) and Yvonne ( born in 1926). Yvonne (Sister John The Baptist) has attended the opening ceremony of the HOSPICE center on September 21.