P.A.V.E.L. ("Primind Ajutor, Viata Este Luminoasa")
which means " Receiving Help, Life Is Bright ". |
We are an organisation of parents whose children have cancer or leukaemia,
from Romania, organisation named P.A.V.E.L.
P.A.V.E.L. association came into life on August 1995 and was legalised on
May 1996.
It is a humanitarian association of private law, non-profit, non-
governmental and independent of private or governmental institutions.
Its purpose is to offer moral, material and juridical help to the parents of
children with cancer.
The association P.A.V.E.L. is full member (the single one from Romania) of
ICCCPO, international confederation of the organisations of parents whose
children have cancer.
Why such an association?
There are major difficulties in the paediatric oncology, existing a high
percent of cancer patience.
In hospitals, these are referred to the accurate diagnose and to the
treatment procedures of the young patients with cancer.
Some of them are:
very often insufficient of medicament supplies to correctly perform
western chemotherapy protocols;
a poor supportive therapy due to low standard blood products, for
instance;
the frequently absence of active antibiotics and immunoglobulines, of
antiviral and antimycotic drugs;
big shortage of medical equipment, instruments for analyses, modern
apparatus.
The hygienic, sanitary and nutritional circumstances are bad and the
standard of living is low.
Yet, there are a lot of doctors and medical personal well educated, trained
and who try heroically in these conditions to save the life of the small
patients.
Children with cancer or leukaemia, in Romania, don't have the same chances
for cure as children in better equipped countries.
Here, the recovery rate of these lethal illnesses is very low, around of
20%.
How much pain is hiding behind this number?
Other reasons to exist P.A.V.E.L.
The parents are confronting with:
lack of knowledge about the respective disease, its cause, its
characteristic or about the necessary or possible treatment offered by
modern medicine;
lack of simple and accessible materials (books, magazines) to explain such
problems;
parents isolation, they are generally cut off from others, without being
able to share their own feelings, hopes or fears;
lack of informing the parents about their legal rights, about the
community aid they can make use of.
Through the agency of P.A.V.E.L. several institutions (hospitals,
associations, orphanages, churches,.) and people received help consisting in
medicines, furniture, medical equipment, food, clothes, shoes, toys, etc.
Present and Past Projects
Permanent projects
Parents House
Due to the deficiency of personnel from hospitals, quite often the parent
becomes also the nurse of her/his child, besides her/his role as moral
upholder. A child treated with cytostatics, Prednison and similar drugs,
with side effects known well by many, is very weak and his appetite is
almost non-existent.
As a result, the child needs constant care. The parent is the one who feeds
and keeps clean her/his child while in hospital. Sometimes the parent is the
one who surveys the administration of the drugs in time. And when they share
the room with an orphan child (like Ionut, Alina or Stefana), they become
the temporary foster parents of this one. Also the parents are the ones who
survey the hygiene of their child during hospitalisation, by asking to the
personnel to clean the room and to change the laundry.
In spite of all these, nowhere in Romania you will find a place in
hospitals reserved for the relaxation of the parents. This relaxation
meaning 20 minutes of resting in an armchair while your child sleeps. It's
no way for them to have a shower after a night spent near the bed of her/his
child.
To help the parents for this purpose, we succeeded in creating a resting
house for them, where they can come and stay for free during the treatment
of their child.
In October 1998, in the presence of the President of Romania, Mr. Emil
Constantinescu and other guests, we opened a house for parents and the
children ill, where they can have a clean, warm, friendly and safe place to
stay, when they come for treatment.
Since the beginning Parents House registered over 300 entries, parents and
children. This house has three dorms prepared with all the necessary things
and a playroom for children. These are part of a five-room flat, the fifth
room being the office of P.A.V.E.L.
The flat was bought by a Dutch foundation, from Bussum (Kinderen in Nood)
and rented to us.
The cost of running the Parents' House was covered through the donations
from abroad.
Informing the parents of the children suffering of cancer
Unfortunately, the hospitals have not the necessary staff to educate the
parents and their children how to deal with the new and painful situation.
That is why we published four medical booklets for parents, 1000 pieces
each. The permission for translating and publishing these booklets (per
total 55 pieces) was given for free to Mrs. Olga Rodica Cridland ( Ionescu),
the president of the association, by BACUP foundation from United Kingdom
and the necessary amount for publishing by association AIDRom from Romania.
A German group from Harsefeld (Evangelish-luterische Kirchengemeinde)
published 2000 books for children. All these booklets are available for
parents and children for free.
There were published also two Info-Magazines for parents and children,
distributed for free - magazines made by Miss Maria Magdalena Ionescu, our
manager. We intend to continue this project, too.
Periodical projects
Buying medicines for the parents
Our association tries to help the families of children ill of cancer by
buying those medicines needed in the treatment of the these children and
which are missing from hospitals, and due to their high price they can't be
bought directly by parents. For buying these medicines, during the years, we
received the help of Ordre de Malte from France, from PAVEL-France, also
from Holland, Health Aid UK, from Luxembourg (Een Haerz fir Kriibskrank
Kanner) etc.
Assuring the food for the parents from the hospital
For the past year, we succeeded in providing the food for the parents and
children found in P.A.V.E.L. House and in hospitals.
Every week or every two weeks, since September 2000, a group formed mainly
from Mrs. Olga Cridland (Ionescu), Mr. Frank Cridland, Mrs. Maria
Zamfirescu, Mrs. Tuta Visescu and Mr. Gheorghe Bumbes distributes meat
products to the parents from hospitals, using these occasions for talking
with them and finding out their problems. The food is sponsored weekly by a
company from Bucharest.
Organising Christmas and Easter festivities in hospitals
Since the winter of 1995, we have organised each year Christmas and Easter
celebrations with presents for the children found in the onco-paediatry
clinics of hospitals Fundeni, Maria Sklodowska Curie and Oncologic Institute
from Bucharest.
Occasional projects
Improving the endowment of onco-paediatry clinics.
Also with the help of Kinderen in Nood, there were organised five
transports with furniture and medical equipment for the hospitals Fundeni
(153 813 NLG) and Maria Sklodowska Curie (19 710 NLG), but also with goods
for other Romanian associations and foundations. Also a German organisation,
also through our agency, donated the necessary amount for buying
refrigerators for hospital Fundeni.
Helping the parents by contacting different hospitals and clinics
Our association tries to help parents by contacting the hospitals and
different clinics from abroad in order to help them provide their children
with the best medical help.
There were already helped more children to go abroad, for
shorter or longer term, for medical examination, treatment or transplant of
bone marrow, in UK (Wales), France, Italy, Spain.
Material help for the families with children ill of cancer
Through the agency of P.A.V.E.L. several families received help consisting
in food, clothes, shoes, toys etc.
Other realisations or activities of P.A.V.E.L.
-In July 2001, it had place at the French Institute from Bucharest a
conference of oncologists and psychologists, where Mrs. Olga Cridland, the
president of the association was invited to present a point of view from the
part of the parents whose children have cancer, regarding the real
situation with what they are confronting and the realisations of the
association P.A.V.E.L.
-From 1997, the representatives of P.A.V.E.L. participated at the annual
meetings organised by ICCCPO, together with SIOP (the International Society
of Paediatric-Oncologists), where from beginning, Mrs. Olga Ionescu
(Cridland) made a strong and continuous lobby in the favour of Romanian
children with cancer or leukaemia, becoming a known and respected voice.
Since 1998, P.A.V.E.L. became full member of ICCCPO.
In 2000, at the International Conference from Amsterdam, Mrs. Olga Ionescu
made a report over the situation from Romania, presented in front of many
representatives from many organisations and oncologists from many countries,
which had a large echo.
In September 2001, the meeting of ICCCPO had place at Luxembourg, where
there were invited for the first time, survivors of cancer, - from Romania
participating two young people.
We intend to organise a group of survivors - who can be a support for many
children or parents. They can create links also with other similar
organisations in order to make lobby for the little patients who suffer now!
For the same purpose, in summer time 2002, together other small organisation
from Romania, we intend to invite 30 survivors and doctors from France, in
order to meet doctors, parents and patients from Romania, but also to
introduce them in the real Romania.
At the last meeting from Luxembourg of ICCCPO,the 15th of January
2002 is declared for the first time in history, INTERNATIONAL CHILDHOOD
CANCER DAY (ICCD).
The International Childhood Cancer Day, introduced by ICCCPO, has
the purpose of raising awareness of childhood cancer and supporting ICCCPO
members in raising funds to support their local activities. ICCCPO also
seeks sponsorship of the event to support its members in the event, and to
support activity at an international level.
Full members granted permission to operate the ICCD might organise
events throughout the month January.
For this purpose, our association intend to organise a big charity
performance, together with the National Theater of Musical Comedy "Ion
Dacian", from Bucharest, on the 15th of January 2002.
-In July, it was organised at British Embassy and at Company
Connex, exbition of drawings and paintings made by children ill of cancer,
which was followed by prizes for children. They were a lot of guests and
representatives from TV-companies; we intend to repeat this action, also in
Romania, also abroad.
The jury was formed by H.E. Mr. Richard Ralph, the British Ambassador, Mrs.
Susan R. Johnson, attache d'affaires at U.S. Embassy and other guests.
From their drawings, we realised greeting-cards, which we intend to sell.
-For two years already, we participated together with the foundation
SMILE at charitable-shows at TV, in order to help the children in need.
-In October 2001, we organised a trip of three days in different nice
places for children ill ( 10 ) and parents.We intend to repeat such of
trips, and more, to make a camp in a clean, nice area, for children ill of
cancer or leukaemia, where eventually to be accompanied by parents or
siblings.
-Few people from association participated at different training
courses and meetings with different organisations from Romania.
Realising these projects was possible thanks to the donations and
sponsorships received from private persons, organisations and companies from
France, the Netherlands, Germany, UK, Luxembourg, Canada (Fondation
Richelieu), Romania etc., but also to our volunteers. We have only three
part-time workers.
We should mention especially, Fr. Jean-Dominique MT, from Community
St. Jean de Rimont, France, who from the start of the association - during
the period of one year of staying in Romania, also the years before and
after, involved himself with whole his heart in helping the Romanian ill
children, directly or indirectly, also through association P.A.V.E.L., help
consisting in work, visits at hospitals and families, proper connections
with hospitals, persons or companies abroad or Romania, getting funds,
materials, correspondence etc.
Also, Mr. Frank Cridland, from Wales who for three years works as
volunteer non-paid for P.A.V.E.L., being involved in many activities of
P.A.V.E.L. and who helped in many ways: visiting parents and children and at
hospital or Parents House, encouraging them or getting funds or getting
useful contacts for P.A.V.E.L. or for parents.
Future projects
Helping the parents by contacting different hospitals and clinics and
obtaining medicines;
Helping the orphan children ill with leukaemia and the other kinds of
cancer, from hospitals;
Improving the conditions of hospitals;
Expanding the number of places from Parents' House and keep it working;
Organising meetings between doctors and parents;
Organising a supportive-group for parents and ill children, made by a
psychologist, a dietetician and a jurist;
Organising trips and camps with the ill children and their parents;
Publishing a periodical of the association and making a web page;
Publishing the rest of the medical booklets etc.;
Organising Christmas and Easter celebrations in hospitals
For running and realise all these projects we have need of funds, medicines,
materials for hospitals, for office, for Parents House, toys or games, for
children and teenagers, lobby, proper connections with hospitals, proper
connections with drug companies which could sell cheep or even donate
medicines,etc.
Permit: 885/96 Registration number: 4/919443
Account: BANC POST S.A., sucursala TITAN,
RO-7000, Bucuresti ROL:
25 110 111 271 0000 496 017
USD: 25 110 521 271 0000 496 013 005
Contact:
Olga Rodica Cridland
president of P.A.V.E.L.
The ASSOCIATION P.A.V.E.L.
SOS. MIHAI BRAVU 311-313,
BL. SB1, SC. 1, AP. 1, SECTOR 3,
BUCHAREST, ROMANIA
Tel (0040-1-) 344 28 85
Fax (0040-1-) 344 28 85
email pavel_romania@hotmail.com
or pavel_romania@yahoo.com
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