Paediatric Cancer Units

Children's Cancer Units with ORM

On day 3 of the ORM Santa Adventure we made our way to the paediatric cancer units across Moldova. It proved to be yet again another highly emotional day. Since it's inception this programme has been very dear to our hearts. In 2008 we were made aware that there are over 7000 children on the cancer list for the entire country and at any one time over 200 would be in hospital with a family member. For those receiving treatment for blood and lymph tumours they are long term inpatients at the haematology units around the country. Many of these children had not been home in Months as they were too unwell to travel and their homes may so far away that and mums, dads and siblings were spending up to 13 months apart while mum stayed in the hospital trying to care for their sick child as they received treatment. Others were in the Oncology wards of the different hospitals receiving surgery/chemotherapy/radiation for their condition.

These are some of the most courageous children that we have ever come across; they live for today and with the hope that tomorrow will be a better day and maybe one day they will get to go home and start being a child again. 

As ORM started this programme 3 years ago, we have met and made many friends along the way. Some mums and dads who celebrated with Santa in previous years returned to help the other mums and dads on this very special day, even though their own little angel was no longer with them. They knew that for some this Christmas would be the last one together and everyone was determined to make it a day to remember and ensure that the children had a ball.

Some of the children were still hooked up to their IV's, some on crutches, others in isolation rooms and some were in their wheelchairs. The one thing that did happen is that they forgot all about their illnesses the minute Santa walked in. The room was immediately filled with electricity. After lots of entertainment and children's games; Santa made sure that everyone gottheir own individual present and every teenager got an MP3 player in addition to the present prepared by Santa’s  little helpers.

At the end of the day we werehappy we could make a small difference in these little fighters’ lives; delighted we were able to raise a smile on their faces and make sure they had a Christmas even though they would be spending it far from home and far from their families.

A huge thank you goes to everyone at Ulster Bank  - Especially Margaret Walsh and Cliona Langford & all the staff that took part in the UB Christmas campaign. You brought more joy to little lives than you will ever know.