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The Bishop of Southwark's Lent Call 2008

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Cry In The Dark, Romania

Fast facts
Population 21,612,000
Capital Bucharest
Area 238,391 km²
(92,043 sq miles)
Language Romanian, Hungarian, German
Religion Eastern Orthodox, Protestant, Catholic
Currency Leu
Life Expectancy 71
Literacy 98%

Cry In The Dark (CITD), a UK registered charity, was founded in 1998 to support the care of children with special needs and chronic non-curable conditions in the Bacau region of North East Romania.

In response to the discovery of 24 physically and emotionally neglected special needs children at Dofieana orphanage, a group of Christian friends committed to provide long-term care for the remainder of their lives. A Romanian association, Association Lumina, was formed and after rallying the support of a number of UK churches in Southwark and beyond, the building of Casa Lumina (House of Light) was completed in 2000. The children were then transferred to their new home and a brighter future.

However, CITD became increasingly aware of the general inadequacy of care and support for all children in the Bacau region facing chronic and life-threatening conditions due to lack of resources and education. Having established positive relationships with local authorities and health and social care providers and a reputation for a high standard of care at Casa Lumina, CITD made a decision in 2002 to extend its services into the community to provide specialist palliative care to children and young adults across the Bacau region. Services will operate from Casa Albert (Albert’s House) and will provide symptom management, end of life care, respite nursing, psychosocial and spiritual support and palliative care education.

It was not at first evident, when the children were transferred to Casa Lumina from Dofteana, that many of them would have a greatly reduced life expectancy due to chronic non-curable disease as well as the complications of severe physical deformity. Some live in constant pain and suffer other distressing symptoms. Palliative care is an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problem associated with life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification and impeccable assessment and treatment of pain and other problems, physical, psychosocial and spiritual. (WHO 2002)

It has become CITD’s primary goal, in partnership with other NGOs and churches in Romania, to witness the love of Christ through the introduction and development of palliative care, through modelling and education, both through the wide services to be provided by Casa Albert and the long-term care given at Casa Lumina.

CITD is supported by individuals, families, social and church groups as well as corporations and trusts. Supporting them through the Bishop’s Lent Call will help them to finish equipping and staffing Casa Albert, the Hospice Day Care centre.

Cry In The Dark website

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