Children in Distress - New Child Admitted to St Margarets

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New Child Admitted to St Margarets

Alexia Maria Paun - Date of birth: 18.10.2010

Alexia is the young Paun family’s first child. Throughout her pregnancy, Mrs Paun had a series of medical checks to determine if their baby was developing normally, the results were always encouraging: both Cristian and Ramona were very happy that their first child was thought to be healthy and the pregnancy going well.

On 18^th October Alexia was tiny when she was born at the Filantropia Maternity Hospital sadly she was almost immediately diagnosed with microcephaly and dysmorphic syndrome. The doctors weren’t able to determine the cause of her conditions.

The Paun’s face very real financial problems and know can’t offer Alexia all the proper care she needs so they involved their local Child Protection Department and asked that Alexia to be admitted to a specialised centre for children with complex care needs. Within ten days of the birth, St Margaret’s Hospice was contacted by the Child Protection Department Sector 6, who asked for our support with special intensive care for this struggling new born. It was initially agreed that Alexia would be admitted to St. Margaret’s as soon as the official papers were finalised. On Tuesday 14^th of December, Alexia was brought straight from her hospital ward accompanied by her father and two Child Protection Department Representatives.

It has been a long time since the care team from hospice saw a parent being so deeply upset by the fact he just can’t care properly of their child. Mr Paun said his wife didn’t come because she simply couldn’t face leaving her baby in hospice, although Ramona was fully aware Alexia will have all the love and care she desperately needs. Alexia’s father admitted that is very difficult for them to see their only child so ill, he assured everyone that they will pay frequent visits and be there for their child.

Alexia now 2 months old is a very tiny baby who weights no more than 2.6 Kg and is little bigger than a doll, to make sure she’s warm in the short term she’s wearing the clothes of a doll recently donated to comfort one of the other children in the ward. We are sure that none will mind