The room was peaceful and quiet. The only sound – soft, murmured words of scripture. On the bed a woman lay close to death, her family attentively by her side. Barely conscious, she nodded her head at the words and her lips moved saying, “Amen”.
Out of the stillness, a voice began to sing. The attendant doctor sang the words of a hymn as the woman entered the valley of death – incredibly moving, comforting and full of hope. Such is the powerful ministry of the medical team working at Hospice Emanuel, Romania.
In February 1996, a young nurse, frustrated at the lack of palliative care available in the country for cancer patients, felt called by God to commence a work offering specialized palliative care services for those diagnosed with advanced cancers.
Armed only with a stethoscope, a bag of medical supplies, and a list of patients, Marinela Rotariu, accompanied by a doctor, set out to help alleviate the suffering of the sick in their own homes. Since then the work has developed, and care is now provided for children and other family members.
Specialist palliative care courses are now taught for professionals working in the health care system. Marinela testifies that from the beginning she always depended upon the Lord to supply the necessary resources – financial, emotional and spiritual – to fulfil her calling.
Our mission is to provide the best possible care for the terminally ill, and support for the families, all in the spirit of Christian love and concern.
The Lord has provided for 27 years and continues to do so. Plans are underway to erect a new hospice centre with a unit of 25 beds for adults and a smaller unit for children, an outpatient clinic, and day centres.
Already over 2,300 adult patients with advanced cancer and 250 children with life-threatening diseases have benefited from these amazing services provided by Hospice Emanuel. Last year, God answered prayer in providing a much needed paediatrician to work with the children and young adults, joining the team of three doctors and seven nurses. Their mission is to provide the best possible care for the terminally ill, and support for the families, all in the spirit of Christian love and concern.
Marinela speaks of how many have been converted to Christ through the witness of the staff.
Iosif, a widower, was diagnosed with an eye tumour. The Hospice staff began to establish a trustful relationship with this lonely man, visiting regularly and caring for him. They became as a family to him, listening to his concerns and fears, and providing both physical and emotional support.
Coming from an Orthodox background, Iosif believed there was life after death but had no certainty of where he would spend eternity. The Hospice staff brought him a large-print Bible and told him about God’s love for sinners. He turned to the Lord and received salvation, accepting that Jesus died on the cross for him too.
Moved by the compassion and care of the staff, Iosif publicly professed his faith in Jesus Christ. Full of joy, he expressed his deep gratitude to the ‘angels without wings’ who had so lovingly cared for him. A few weeks later, Iosif went home to be with his Lord.