Alexi
We remember meeting Alexi very well. During one of our trips to Romania, we were offered a tour of one of the children’s hospitals in a medium sized city on the outskirts of the country, near the Hungarian border. We were not going to go, but then realised we had some extra time, so went.
As we got out of the car, we began to walk past what appeared to be a condemned apartment building, with graffiti walls, broken windows, in generally poor condition. That was the children’s hospital.
We proceeded in to the children wards, toured a few. We were struck by how quiet they were. No laughing, no crying. Just silence. It was explained to us that the babies give up on crying because they don’t get any response as there are not sufficient staff to care for them. We would pop in to room after room, about 2.5 meters square, the size of a small children’s room. Each room contained at least 4 cots. We got explanations for a few of the children – this one is abandoned. This one has this illness. As we were leaving one of the rooms, our eye was caught by the only baby we saw who was standing in their cot. We asked about him. “Oh, that’s Alexi. He’s 16 months old. He has terminal liver disease and has two to three months to live.” Our eyes just locked with his for a few long seconds. A beautiful baby boy, smiling, unaware of his fate.
Upon our return to London, the image of Alexi stayed with us. “Nothing can be done” was the response from his hospital, but we tried to find out whatever we could about his condition.
Through our research, the Director of our partner found what seemed to be the only team of surgeons in Romania who specialised on terminal liver disease and transplantation. The head of the team was well respected in Romania , had studied in the U.S. many years earlier, and maintained contact with other liver surgeons internationally.
We contacted the surgeon in Bucharest. He was leaving for 6 to 8 weeks in two days time but once we stressed that Alexi could not wait that long, he agreed to see his medical records, if we could meet him the day after tomorrow at 6:30 a.m.
The Director of our partner had to fight with the local hospital to release the records. F.R.O.D.O. paid for her transportation to Bucharest, where she met with the surgeon.
One week later F.R.O.D.O. flew her and Alexi to Bucharest where he underwent tests and treatment for about 5 weeks. F.R.O.D.O. paid for a treatment that was unavailable under the Romanian health service, which helped to cure one of the diseases attacking Alexi’s liver.
Alexi’s prognosis was then good and we were told he should be stable for 3 to 4 years, while he waited for a liver donor.
Alexi was then in the top of the list for donors and his surgery was programmed for May 2008, and just a few weeks before on Tuesday, April 21st, we had the deeply saddening news that Alexi died suddenly from complications related to his illness.
He was three years old. Alexi was a wonderful, happy child, and has been an inspiration to all of us to help other children like him…
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