Day 6: Creating a Lasting Change

Our day was spent wrapping up at Prichindelul. We started out the morning by visiting another orphanage in town for the children moderate to severe disabilities. We met the physiotherapist on staff and he gave us a tour of the 2 of the children's homes, a hydrotherapy room, therapy gym, and sensory room. He asked us to help him with one of his patients on Monday who has a history of a spinal cord injury. We plan to return to assist him in any way that we can.

Sensory Room

Physiotherapy Gym

Once we arrived at Prichindelul, the translators completed treatment plans that Valdora and Sarah had created for the Autism Specialist, Laura. Valdora and Sarah went over the treatment plans with her for the children that she sees at the center. She was eager to implement our ideas and seemed interested in learning more about the sensory information we plan to send her when we return to the United States. We also discussed what she had learned about in the course the day prior. We shared frustrations over paperwork demands and talked about the different assessments she had been using that had been translated to Romanian from English. Laura also shared the burden of attending continuing education courses. She told us that she pays for these courses out of pocket and the next course she will be taking costs $500. This is a huge sacrifice for her and her family because her salary is about $300 per month. Laura was open to all of our ideas and it is clear she is making more connections between the children's behaviors and their sensory and medical needs.

Treatment plans translated to Romanian for Laura, the Autism Specialist

Ashley and Cristina were with the children in the third module and worked with the children during their lunch time. Ashley was able to position the four year old in a tumble form chair to assist with her self-feeding and swallowing. She was able to eat more than half of her bottle sitting up, however, she is unable to practice holding her own bottle because the center is uses glass soda bottles with nipples on top. Cristina worked with the 14 year old boy with visual impairment. She provided him with a neck roll and positioning in a stroller which allowed him to have the improved positioning and support to eat his lunch in a reasonable amount of time.

A typical bottle used for the children at the orphanage

Before lunch the entire team had a debriefing with the staff and director at Prichindelul. He expressed his gratitude for our visit and was eager to hear our recommendations. Although he was open to many of our suggestions, he explained the red tape and politics making it difficult to implement change for the children. Despite all of the barriers, he told us that they understand that as "human beings with open hearts" there is a lot that they can still provided for these children. One of our most important recommendations was to have a continued partnership with the nursing students who assisted us as translators.  The director assured us that he will develop a partnership with their university or as individuals allowing them to continue to work with the children.

Our translators, Ana, Ionna, and Ema work with Ashley to translate signs for the children's cribs

After our last lunch with the translators, we spent the afternoon completing treatment plans and signs translated into Romanian to tape on the wall above the children's cribs. Cristina and Ligia returned to say goodbye to the children in the first module. She reviewed the treatment plans they had created the day before. They also celebrated one of the children's birthday with singing and cookies Cristina had bought for them. One of the boys told the translator, Ionna, that he had a shower for the first time in the new shower seat we provided. He was so pleased to have a more comfortable and safe place to shower. He told her it was just like he was still sitting in his wheelchair. The team also received some sad news that one of the children, an 18 year old who was crib ridded had passed away. Although we were never able to meet him because he had already taken to the hospital, the team from America that preceded our trip had worked him just 2 weeks ago. We put off our official goodbyes until Monday. It was just too difficult to think we were seeing these precious children for the last time.

Ashley and Ema hanging the signs over the cribs

Cristina, Ionna, and Ligia saying goodbye to the children in the first module

The crib of the 18 year old who passed away. Romanian Orthodox light a candle for the deceased believing the light guides the soul to heaven.

We ended our day with a traditional Romanian dinner in the cellar of a beautiful restaurant. We were joined by Debbie the founder of Heart of Hope, her Romanian director, as well as our translators. It was a great time for us to thank them for their hospitality and our experiences here in Romania. This weekend we plan to sightsee around Sibiu and Basov to help us transition back to our lives at home.

Crama Siviana