Petre

Maria

Cosmin

Katia

Ilie

David is 86 years old and lives in Brasov, Romania, with his wife. He became ill at the beginning of 1999. After investigations, David was diagnosed with Sigmoid Carcinoma with liver metastases and had an operation in February 1999. The prognosis at first was good, but in 2005, doctors found the disease was coming back.

David was admitted to Hospice Casa Sperantei in Brasov one month after the operation. He benefited from care in the Hospice inpatient unit, where he enjoyed his time. His wife visited regularly and it is clear there is a very strong connection between them, full of affection; they have been married for 58 years, but they are sad because they couldn’t have children. They feel lonely, because friends and close relatives can’t visit them more often because of work.

They live in a small house, which the lady is doing her best to keep tidy, even though she also has to cook, to go shopping and to go to the doctor for prescriptions and consultations for her as well because she too has heath problems. The home-care team visit them regularly and David and his wife are always glad when they do and they talk a lot, because they don’t have too many people around to communicate with.

David now has a fistula on the abdominal scar, which must be frequently bandaged; he also has abdominal pain which needs regular medication. It is very important for them that something like the Hospice exists, with people who care about their physical needs but also about their social and communication problems – the need to share their sufferings, needs, but also moments of joy and happiness. Every year David has his birthday, which is before Easter, and remembers the times when he was young; he tells everything with details. He told me that being Hungarian, at the age of 20, he was deported to Russia (Siberia), where he worked hard, in harsh conditions – cold, lack of food and clothes, fights, lack of friends. He thanks God who protected him and saved his life. Now, at every anniversary, he asks himself is this isn’t his last. He is preoccupied and hurt because of his wife because he will leave her alone. Every time when it is time to leave David asks me: “When are you coming back? You will not forget about us, right?”