So many times words are not enough to describe situations hard to imagine. I will try to tell you, in simple words, the first months of Darius' life.

Darius was born on 10 October 2006, after a 37 weeks pregnancy, he weighed 3.300 kg and was 51 cm in height. He was considered born a little earlier and, especially due to his mother's negative RH, after only 7 days at home, he was hospitalized in Constantza County Hospital for investigations. Everything started there!

The pediatrician recommended as the best in this hospital, was superficial in her check-ups. After a short examination she concluded that Darius had a severe heart malformation (true) and kidney problems (false). Even when Darius' state was obviously deteriorating, the doctors did nothing to help him, first of all because the hospital material conditions in hospital were not appropriate. His doctor went to holiday saying that if she finds him alive upon her return, she will see what remains to be done.

The analyses revealed a sepsis infection (from his life in the uterus) and a klebsiella infection, a nasty bacteria with small chances of healing. The doctor also diagnosed Darius with the Fallot Tetralogy, but this was also wrong. Since it took Darius too much effort to breastfeed, the doctors set a nose tube to feed him through and kept both methods of feeding. Though his parents had frequently asked for Darius' transfer to Bucharest, to a better hospital, but for one month the doctors considered that the baby was not in any condition to travel.

November 30, 2006 - After several requests and the pediatrician's return from her holiday, Darius was transferred to the M.S. Curie Hospital in Bucharest, in the Critical Care Unit. As soon as the doctors saw him, they first intubated and connected him to oxygen, and secondly asked the mother angrily why she had arrived so late!!! The doctors immediately they set a central catheter in the humeral artery, in order for the medicine to be more easily administrated.

After much investigation, the diagnosis was DORV disease. To ease his breathing the doctors performed a tracheotomy. With a bad general status, infections still ongoing, oxygen dependent, Darius still had to undergo the pulmonary banding. This surgery was possible in a hospital in Tg. Mures. Getting things moving took a mother's breakdown, (as she was tired of hearing the words "we will see") and lots of phone calls, a fully equipped and assisted ambulance to Brasov where Darius was taken over by a special team from SMURD.

If in Bucharest the baby's caretaker was the mother who would even perform some of the medical procedures (because of missing personnel and insufficient budget), in Tg.Mures the mother had no permission to be with her baby throughout the stay. She obtained information about Darius secretly, from nurses who, as they were mothers themselves, took pictures of the little boy with their mobile phones and showed them to Darius' mother through the cracked door.

When the chief of pediatric cardio-surgery found out about Darius carrying klebsiella, he had a real shock, since that meant a serious disinfection as far as blood is concerned, but in Constanta County Hospital, where Darius had contacted this bacterium, the cases are probably more frequent.

February 8, 2007 - The pulmonary banding surgery was a success, even though it was done without a cardiac catheter, as the doctor hoped that his intuition would not be wrong. However, the hospital conditions were not appropriate and Darius was once again transferred to Bucharest. But a big step forward had been taken, as he was rid of the oxygen mask. His lungs were able to function on their own.

Darius' frail body underwent a lot during this entire time, no less than 4 catheter installments (it takes approximately 3,4 hours to install it), on his jugular vein, and two times in the inguinal area. He was so pierced that in Tg. Mures the doctors performed a cropping on his right little hand.

August 8, 2007 - A little before Darius was 10 months old, the doctors decided to unplug one of his nostrils that was plugged from birth. Why so late? We will never know ... . What we know is that even though Darius cannot hold his head or sit up straight, that does not mean he is not developed; on the contrary: he is now more restless and pulls his IV lines out and needs constant supervision.

The surgery was not a problem this time either. It meant freeing his breathing paths, however he had to have a tube in the operated nostril for the following 3 months (in order for the nostril not to get plugged again) and in the other nostril he had the feeding tube installed 9 months before.

When he was 3 months old Darius lost his breastfeeding instinct and he cannot be fed with a spoon, especially since he cannot even swallow his saliva. This, together with other "normal" mucosities, is permanently cleaned by suction by Madalina, Darius' mother. If we are to consider the gastro-esophageal reflux which triggers vomiting episodes then we tend to understand why the doctors maintained the nose tube for such a long time. Darius' small tried body responded to the tube by a wound in his larynges which is supposed to either go away in time or be operated on.

August 23, 2007 - Only when he was 10 months and one week the stomach tube is inserted (a small tube in inserted directly into his stomach for feeding) and this allows for one of the nostrils to be released.

Though in the beginning Madalina wanted to stay in the country for the correcting surgery which Darius can undergo when he is around one year old, she now would like to go to a Western hospital where her son, her only child, could be well treated. The current doctors and means may be better but they still cannot compare to the ones abroad.

It is not fair to have so many expensive tests and ultrasounds during the pregnancy and have them not reveal severe fetal malformations!

It is not fair to be considered responsible for what is going on with your child from a medical point of view! You are given the instructions, you are made responsible for the mistakes made; sometimes you get phrases like "you could be a nurse", all of these make you wonder if it had not been better for you to stay home and take care of your child as you know best, full of love and humanity, something many lack …

It is not fair to be treated as if people around you are awaiting your death from one day to the other!

It is not fair to ask for help and not get it because there is too little staff!

It is not fair for a child to be pierced looking for a vain while there are better methods that last a longer time!

It is not fair to ask for something to calm your child down or sedate him once he is out of surgery! The doctors should be the ones to know that even when you are 10 months old you feel pain, hunger and heat discomfort.

It is not fair to want your own death, yours and your child's when you hear (unsolicited) opinions like "he seems to have neurological issues also … ". If medicine is being practiced by people offering their own opinion, then most of us should be doctors.

What Darius is going through now can hardly be called a life, but through the good will of good people things could change. People who believe in the chance that Darius has have encouraged Madalina to see about a surgery abroad. This is possible for a certain amount of money, small for some people, huge for others, vital for Darius.

The truth and seriousness of Darius' condition is GARANTEED BY