Day Two - Starting work!

Slept fitfully last night, very tired after such a long week. Started at the Hospices of Hope today, met many of the staff, everyone is very dedicated to the Hospices, and it is very easy to see why.

We take for granted our excellent health care system and our ability to have regular health check ups for early detection of diseases such as cancer. The Hospices of Hope look after people in pallitive care, given to both patients and their families, physically, mentally and emotionally. This care would be out of reach for many people financially had the hospices not been here to give them this support. The Hospices rely heavily on donations, to aid the building of new facilities - to enable them to help more people and families. To help with the payment of specialist services and equipment - all of which are offered to their patients at no charge. I will be assisting the Hospices in a small way, by helping with the implementation of a fundraising database which was introduced to the team last year, but requiring some assistance in terms of fixing issues and training. I also hope to help in the Hospices, donating time, I want to undertake the annual marathon (watch this space - I will be asking you for support!) and with fundraising activities for their events.

If you would like to know more, please look to their website at http://www.hospice.ro/ for further details.

I guess another shock for me was that smoking cigarettes is still socially acceptable here. Cab drivers smoke with their passengers in their cars, apartments have ashtrays - inviting you to smoke, people on the street smoke freely without concern for their health or others. I asked Cristiana - the Director of Fundraising at the Hospices of Hope and Patricia - a Team Leader in the Fundraising Department at the Hospice about this today. Unfortunately it is still seen as trendy and is a very cheap activity so people do not think of the implications to their health. Cristiana is very keen to see this change, through education to our youth, and those already with the habit. This is something that the Hospice is keen to branch into - Prevention of disease and early detection as well as high quality care for those in the last stages of life.

The team are truly inspirational. I hope that you will join me on this journey to learn more about what they do, and what we can do to help.

Signing off

Dani