Hospice Emanuel (Oradea, Romania) is a charitable, non-governmental organization with the goal of providing specialized palliative care services to those diagnosed with advanced cancers.
The hospice had very small beginnings! It started in February 1996, with no building or staff, but much faith. Marinela Rotariu, now Executive Director, recalls that while working as a young nurse, three young people aged between 16-24 died with cancer within one week.
The need for this ministry was reinforced when Marinela cared for her pastor’s wife as well as her best friend, who died with leukaemia aged 31. Then, to add to her pain, her father was diagnosed with cancer during her 4th year of studies at Emanual Christian University. Again, she was faced with the need to make special care available.
In 1996 with a list of about 30 terminal ill patients, a stethoscope, and a bag of medical supplies, Marinela, along with another doctor established a meeting place at the tram station, from where they travelled by public transport to the patients’ homes. The project continued to develop with hospice services extended to children suffering from life threating conditions in 1999.
While speaking with Marinela, it was very obvious that from the very beginning, she always depended on the Lord, relying upon Him to provide the necessary resources – financial, emotional and spiritual – without which there was no possibility of fulfilling what she knew was her mission.
She revealed plans to erect a new Hospice Centre which will include a unit with 25 beds for adults, another unit with 5 beds for children, separate day centres for adults and children, a home care centre for adults and children, and an educational centre in palliative care. Construction work has begun on this extensive project.
The team has grown to 22 employees – 3 doctors, 7 nurses, 2 psychologists, 2 social workers, 1 physiotherapist, 1 chaplain and 6 administration staff. While they endeavour to have all evangelical believers on the staff, sometimes the necessary expertise is not available, so they need to employ unconverted people.
This was exactly what happened one year ago when a doctor who was an Orthodox adherent, joined the team. His colleagues at Hospice Emanuel began to witness to him and eventually he was converted to Christ and was baptized in January. This account could be repeated among the patients as well.
Marinela shared how the Hospice staff had been praying for a paediatrician to focus on the health of infants, children, adolescents, and young adults.
God answered prayer and Dr Dana Dic (pictured) commenced her work at the hospice last September. It was heart-wrenching as she shared about caring for a 16 year old boy who is seriously ill with secondary cancer. Added to this family’s burden, is the fact that a second son aged 14 has also been diagnosed with cancer.
Hospice Emanuel is an SGA Phoebe ministry.
Through your support we are able to help provide the resources that are needed to offer this vital care. We trust and pray that through this remarkable ministry many will receive physical, emotional, and most importantly, spiritual help.