EUGENE VOVK – “For me, Sus Inima is like a big brother. A friend, a family member, who can support or push when needed.”

Eugene Vovk is another recent member of the SUS INIMA family. He joined the team shortly after the start of the war in Ukraine. He ran away from the aggression with his wife and two little girls and ended up in Sibiu. He came from Odessa, where he was a 3D photographer and entrepreneur, owning an online shop for photography, drones and sports equipment. As soon as he arrived in Romania, he dedicated his time to helping as many Ukrainian refugees as possible. SUS INIMA met him for the first time at a meeting of the Sibiu County Council for NGOs and authorities. The meeting aimed to coordinate efforts to help refugees. He was invited as a representative of the Ukrainian community. A few days later, SUS INIMA invited him to join the team, thus establishing a link between the organisation and the Ukrainians. Eugene's work in SUS INIMA is to coordinate integration programmes for Ukrainian refugees. He is in charge of identifying the real needs of the Ukrainian community in Sibiu and then coordinating efforts to meet these needs in a fair and efficient way. Thus, the Ukrainian Centre Sibiu was born, a place that provides 24/7 support for over 3000 refugees. In fact, Eugen ended up coordinating and contributing to the opening of the first Ukrainian language school in Romania. Initially the school was intended for children from grades 1-4, but soon after the school was extended to grades 5-11. The teaching staff is composed of Ukrainian teachers covering all subjects of the Ukrainian curriculum, as well as Romanian language teachers, which will allow refugee children to integrate into the Romanian school system if their parents choose to stay in Romania. "The process has been challenging. And now I am happy to see all these children, who can still be just children. Some of them came with their parents, I saw the look in their eyes. At this age, normal life for them means going to school every day. Real school, with real teachers, using a language they understand. And it's wonderful for me to see nowadays how many people have the same vision and share these values." Asked what SUS INIMA is to him, he answered like this: "For me Sus Inima is like a big brother. A friend, a family member who can support or push when needed."

Ioana Andriesei “SUS INIMA is the place where I found my meaning, my purpose.”

Ioana is the host of SUS INIMA House in Bucharest and, not surprisingly, she is another member of the SUS INIMA family who finds happiness and fulfilment in serving others, in offering herself to bring joy to those around her. Ioana is an economist. She has worked 20 years in education, 14 years in university education, 6 in school education and her joy in this field has been to share her knowledge, her experience, her energy. She left the system at a time when she was tired and people no longer seemed interested in what she had to offer. She tried to work in corporate, mainly pursuing a steady source of income. But this made her feel like she was selling out, compromising, living like a robot. She didn't feel any joy or fulfilment, what she felt was that she was getting sick. She was between jobs when she heard Carmen on Radio Romania talking about SUS INIMA, that they are planning to open a SUS INIMA House in Bucharest and that they are looking for employees and volunteers. She even fancied a volunteer position, as long as it was something useful, meaningful, something that would bring her joy. So she contacted Carmen and scheduled a phone interview for the next day. "Carmen and Lu didn't have brilliant reception, the video call was short, but the audio call lasted, because we were talking like people who were happy that they found themselves on the same page." Two years ago, on July 31st, on Ioana's birthday, the first palpable, concrete step was taken on the road to opening SUS INIMA House in Bucharest - taking over the location that was to become a home for people who came from far away to undergo cancer treatments. For Ioana, this was the best anniversary ever. "When I heard Carmen say on the radio that she was going to open a SUS INIMA house in Bucharest, I knew without the slightest doubt that I wanted to be part of the project. It is an honour for me to work for cancer patients. I bow with respect and love to them, and I am grateful for everything they teach me, day after day." Ioana recounts that when she set out on the SUS INIMA journey, she had absolutely no representation of what was to come, nor would it have mattered because she knew with certainty that this was where she belonged. And indeed, today she is happy because every day she fulfills her mission to bring a little bit of love and joy into the lives of the guests of SUS INIMA. "I have no words to explain how valuable SUS INIMA House is in the lives of our guests. Financially, mentally, emotionally. In a slightly expanded way, I dare say it is part of the treatment. For about 6-8 weeks, we are the home away from home for these wonderful and tried people. For as long as I can remember, I have looked for and chosen jobs where I can tangibly bring smiles and a sense of well-being to people. SUS INIMA is where I found my meaning, my purpose, where my dream of giving everything I know became reality. To be here, with our guests, is for me, frankly, uplifting. I have the opportunity to offer love and joy, and from them I receive rich lessons in life, courage, strength, dignity, elegance, friendship. I am so happy, so fulfilled with what I do, that, wondering how I could be even closer to them, how I could meet their needs even more, I decided this year to try my luck and take the entrance exam for the School of Nursing, and I succeeded. SUS INIMA represents my motivation to grow."

Alin State – “We find tools to deal with these situations and relieve them through play and through love.”

Alin State - "We find tools to deal with these situations and relieve them through play and through love." Alin became a member of the SUS INIMA family recently. He joined the team at the beginning of the Ukraine War, his first role being to pick up refugees from the border. It's not easy to pinpoint a particular activity Alin has had so far in the SUS INIMA family because Alin does it all. From picking up refugees from border checkpoints to cutting the grass. From doing supplies in the Zacaria hall, where around 5000 refugees get their food, to repairing furniture or setting up offices. When you needed someone to do something, you called Alin and he would do it. Infrastructure, supplies, transport, helping out with everything. Alin is a professional actor, he graduated Theatre University in Bucharest and has been working as an actor since 2008. He has acted in films, winning the UCIN award for best actor in a supporting role in the film Rocker, was employed by the "Bulandra" theatre in Bucharest and played on most stages in the capital and also around the entire country. Theatre has always been a hobby for him and the reason he chose to pursue this career was because he liked to get in touch with people and be helpful. He wasn't necessarily interested in theatre performances, he was more interested in rehearsals. He liked being backstage and so he ended up doing all sorts of things, not just acting. He was also an assistant, and a lighting designer, built and set up sets, etc. He never sat around waisting time, he was always involved in all sorts of activities. When he started working for SUS INIMA he was very surprised by the way Lu and Carmen collaborate. He says he learned a lot from the way they organize themselves, and was impressed by their dedication and willpower. He's in constant wonder every time he sees them in action because they inspire him to learn new things and step out of his comfort zone, to be versatile, and their motto - "we help everyone" - is all he's ever wanted to do, to be of service to people. From his point of view, SUS INIMA is a great place for someone who wants to be at the service of others because you have countless opportunities to serve. "If you're really dedicated, you have work to do, no joke, because there are so many people who need help. SUS INIMA is growing every day, it's expanding, and you need a lot of support in that growth, because SUS INIMA is becoming a community. More and more people are starting to participate, and it's heartwarming how the idea of community is influencing so many souls to come together with one goal: to help." I asked Alin what is the meeting point between theatre and NGO and he answered like this: "Empathy. Theatre, without the quality of empathy, is poor theatre. In NGOs, empathy is what makes you aware of the needs of others. The exercise of empathy in theatre makes me sensitive to the needs of others and gives me the strength to move forward. Plus teamwork, you can't do anything if you don't work as a team, it's the same in theatre. Also, trusting your partner. It's very important that everyone plays their part for the play to go on." Currently, SUS INIMA is preparing something that will further unite theatre with the NGO. It started from the idea of creating a space where refugee children can explore their vulnerability, where they can find new ways to explore their inner selves and tools to cope with unexpected situations. It will be a complex programme involving educators, therapists, artists, trying to develop a new way of coping with events that are becoming more and more extreme and causing anxiety. Alin says: "It's very important to learn again to laugh and smile and have a positive attitude, because they have been through a lot, they are tried. We find tools to cope with these situations and release them through play and love." Alin successfully manages to be that partner you can rely on no matter what the situation, whether it's a stage in some theatre, or it's the bigger stage, the one we all play on every day, because that's how he's built, to give his all where help is needed. Through his role in SUS INIMA will no doubt continue to serve in countless ways, because that is what makes him the happiest, and we are truly lucky to have him in our lives.

Maria Filip – “When we are suffering we need to remember love.”

Maria Filip - "When we are suffering we need to remember love." The first word that comes to mind when I think of how to describe Maria is professionalism. Maria is a psychotherapist, personal development counsellor and trainer. She enjoys working with people, loves to talk, support and help and firmly believes that this is her calling on earth. Patients describe her as open, engaging, understanding, empathetic and intelligent and a great helper of inner knowing. She has been working in the field since 2018 and opened her practice 1 year ago. She got her psychology degree right after high school. She always knew she would become a psychologist and work in psycho-oncology. She chose this path because she knew she could do it, that it suited her, that "it's what she could be" (an extremely important verb for her). Immediately after college she worked in human resources, mostly in healthcare. Then she became a mother and began to want to know more about the development of herself and her children and her family in general. Personal history played a large role in her decision to become a psychotherapist specializing in psycho-oncology, as her mother had died of leukemia and she herself was repeatedly suspected of an oncological diagnosis. So, after her children were old enough, she took the path of therapy. She started coaching modules, then professional development and psychotherapy training. She is now pursuing a specialisation in psycho-oncology. "I had nothing clear, but not once did I feel the pain of an oncology diagnosis. Not once did I see the suffering and feel the fear. For me it was a suspicion, for others it's a certainty, and the moment Carmen called me, I said YES." Maria says that one of the reasons she chose this specialisation is that "when you hear the word cancer, hope disappears. And when hope disappears, energy drops and the fight gets harder." Asked about how she works with patients, Maria says, "As a therapist on this journey, I support, I'm there no matter how challenging the journey gets, how hard, how many obstacles, how many joys or sorrows. Because there is pain, and when we are in pain we need to remember love." However, no one should be forced into therapy, as Maria says the shock of this diagnosis is so great that sometimes you just want to stop talking about it. "I'm often asked what I'm doing during therapy: I'm present. When the body is in pain, you need acceptance, psycho-emotional support, so that depression and anxiety don't kick in full force. I am part of a team: SUS INIMA - Beneficiary - his/her family - and I feel honored to be able to accompany them."

SUS INIMA opens Ukrainian School for grades V-XI in Sibiu

We invite you on November 1st to the event "Open Day at the Ukrainian School for grades V-XI in Sibiu", from 10:00 to 14:00, on Mihai Viteazul Street 31 in Selimbar Sibiu. The daily school program will start from October 2, 2022. The teaching staff is composed of 15 Ukrainian teachers who will cover all subjects of the Ukrainian curriculum for grades V-XI and 2 Romanian teachers who will teach the children the Romanian language. At the moment, 98 children are enrolled, but enrolment is still on-going. Eugene Vovk, coordinator of refugee integration programs from SUS INIMA says: "The process has been challenging. And now I'm glad to see all these children, who can still be just children. Some of them came yesterday with their parents, I saw the look in their eyes. At this age, normal life for them means going to school every day. Real school, with real teachers, using a language they understand. And it's wonderful for me to see nowadays how many people have the same vision and share these values." Due to the fact that this unique initiative is an expensive one, we also asked for the involvement of the students' parents, who agreed to contribute by paying a modest fee of 200 lei to complete the necessary budget. "The fact that we are able to open this school for Ukrainian children in grades V-XI is a great joy, and I am personally immensely grateful to those who support this important project." adds Carmen Chindris, president of SUS INIMA. The school in this form will run for one year, being an 8-month project (October - June). During this year the children will have the opportunity to learn the Romanian language and in the following year they will be able to continue school, either in the Romanian educational system as a student, not as a visitor as it was until now, or to return to Ukraine and re-enter the educational system there. "I believe very clearly that access to education and culture are bridges on which to build societal integration, especially in a city like our Sibiu, which is still young since 1191. We have already developed the following initiatives involving active culture through active citizenship components but also a lot of play and joy. You will see, we will keep you informed. It's going to be something beautiful" says Lu Knobloch, from SUS INIMA, the promoting organisation of this initiative. The Ukrainian Primary School in Sibiu is a project co-financed by SUS INIMA, SOS Children's Villages and SC ifm prover srl, SC ifm efector srl, SC TRADINTCO SRL. The project partners are ALEG and Diakoniewerk, whom we thank for their involvement. If you want to support our activities, you can contact the SUS INIMA team: office@susinima.eu, comunicare@susinima.eu, susinimasibiu@gmail.com

Filofteia Cojocaru – “When patients arrive at SUS INIMA House, they can’t believe that such a thing is possible, that there are people thinking about them.”

As I have already mentioned, the Sus Inima Association functions because there are a number of people dedicated body and soul to the mission, who have stories worth hearing. Today we tell the story of Filofteia Cojocaru, or as people call her, Aunt Tina. Aunt Tina is a soul with a special light. Her presence is gentle and warm, which makes you want to bring out the best in yourself, because you want to mirror the gentleness with which she relates to the world. She's like a mother, a mother of us all. She's humble and you feel how much she cares. Maybe a little too much, sometimes, because it costs her the story of every person who steps inside SUS INIMA houses. And you can't fake that. She is the heart of SUS INIMA houses in Sibiu. A woman of incredible strength, because only a strong person can be as strong as she is. She arrived in Sibiu in 2017, coming from a commune in Vâlcea county. She worked for 10 years at the town hall as a social worker. In 2007, her husband was diagnosed with leukemia. Five difficult years followed, with dialysis, cytostatics, his condition getting worse and worse, until 2012, when he passed away. That period was a constant back and forth between hospital and home. Tina said she often wished it was her instead of him, but he said he couldn't take care of her the way she took care of him. She remained in Valcea for another five years after her husband died. Tina has two children who live in Sibiu. A girl and a boy. The boy married a year after his father's death and has two daughters, one is 7 years old and the other is 3. The daughter also married recently and has an 8-month-old daughter, whom Tina adores. After the wedding, Tina's son opened his own business and could not afford to visit her much. Being away from her children and grandchildren, Tina sold everything and moved to Sibiu. Her first job was at a handbag company. That job affected her health because of the toxicity of the substances they used to treat the handbags, so she quit. She started looking for a new job but nothing came up. And that's because her place was at SUS INIMA, not elsewhere. Her son had known Carmen Chindris for a long time. He participated with one of her daughters in the Sibiu International Marathon in 2018, running for SUS INIMA. Carmen decided that in 2019, with the money raised at the marathon, she would rent a space and start the association's activity. But to get started, she needed to hire a social worker. Learning that Aunt Tina worked in the field, Carmen offered her the job. Tina wasn't convinced at first, she needed time to think about it. Tina's road was a challenging one and her life wasn't always serene. However, Tina has found her balance. She is now doing very well and her children bring her a lot of joy and give her strength to move forward. In addition to the children, another place where Tina finds strength, motivation and drive to move forward is the collective at SUS INIMA. But even here it wasn't easy for her from the start. When she started the houses activity, one of the first cases was a 32-year-old girl. This girl's story had a major impact on Tina. She was older than her daughter by a day, and had two children. She had lung surgery, then the cancer recurred in her brain, followed by two more brain operations. She kept coming for check-ups in Sibiu, and for sessions with the psychologist. Tina kept in touch with her on whatsapp and facebook, but the girl died last year. Tina admits she was affected and needed some time to rebalance. Tina's role is to greet people, the sick ones, who usually can't afford to commute or stay in a hostel or hotel. They come from Valcea, Alba, Hunedoara and the towns around Sibiu. The fact that they have a place to stay makes them very happy. Tina says they can't believe it's possible, that there are people who think of them. One lady said that "only God brought you in my way, otherwise I would be sleeping in the station. During the day I planned to stay in the park and at night go to sleep at the station, because I couldn't afford to commute." When they arrive, patients are scared, disbelieving, disoriented. They ask Tina if they'll last the therapy sessions. Some have as many as 38 sessions. Tina is always there for them, supporting and encouraging them. She listens to every story and gets attached to everyone. She told us that during their stay in the SUS INIMA homes, the patients become friends, they laugh and joke, and there's a great atmosphere. She has never been intrusive with questions and curiosities about their private lives, she listens as much as they tell. And they get to tell their whole lives. They share both their personal stories and the journey of their illness, how they found out that they have cancer and everything they've experienced about their treatment so far. Tina is strong and patient, she listens to them, urges them to be positive and optimistic and to want to get better so they can beat the disease. Another case Tina spoke about was of a young boy whose health had always been fragile. He suffered from a number of illnesses and had several heart operations. This boy said that each time he felt that he would get better and that this time he felt the same. Tina has so many stories to tell because people trust and open up to her. The fact that she also lost a loved one to cancer makes people feel understood and allows them to be vulnerable. They feel that she also knows what the illness and suffering they are going through means. These people are like family to her, and when they leave home at the end of treatment, it leaves a hole in her heart. Tina says that for her it's like them leaving her home, because SUS INIMA is like a second home. People want to be heard, to feel that everyone matters in some way. And Tina gives this gift to everyone who crosses the doorstep of SUS INIMA houses. She listens to everyone, patiently and compassionately, and that matters. It certainly helps the healing process. Because, at its core,what Tina shares through her way of relating to people is love, and there is no person in the world who does not want to be loved.

Sus Inima opens Ukrainian School in Sibiu

We invite you to the "Open Doors Day at the Ukrainian School in Sibiu", on October 1st, from 10:00 to 14:00, on Smârdan street number 5 in Sibiu. The daily school program will start on Monday, October 3, 2022. The curriculum is aligned with the Ukrainian curriculum. There will be 4 teachers, 1 Romanian teacher, 1 English teacher, 1 Ukrainian teacher and 2 teachers of arts and technologies. Apart from the Romanian language teacher, the entire staff is made up of refugee teachers from Ukraine. "It is very important that these children have access to education, in a first phase in their mother tongue, this will facilitate their learning process in general, but in particular, that of the Romanian language. We hope that in the future, most of them will be able to be integrated, if they choose to stay in Sibiu, in the local education system" says Lu Knobloch, from SUS INIMA, the organisation promoting this initiative. The space where the activity will take place is provided free of charge by the Sibiu Evangelical Parish at 5 Smârdan Street. Due to the fact that this unique initiative is an expensive one, we also asked for the involvement of the students' parents, who agreed to contribute by paying a modest fee of 200 lei to complete the necessary budget. The school in this form will run for one year, being a 9-month project (October - June). During this year the children will have the opportunity to learn the Romanian language and in the following year they will be able to continue school, either in the Romanian educational system as a student, not as a visitor as it was until now, or to return to Ukraine and re-enter the educational system there. "We have a very strong desire to help these children, at least for one year, to open a space for students in grades V-XI, but we have not yet managed to find funding. The expenses are quite high, as we are talking about 234 children already on the lists", continues Carmen Chindris, president of SUS INIMA. More than 83% of Ukrainian families in Sibiu are willing to return to Ukraine as soon as possible. Only 4% of the families have decided to stay in Sibiu for the long term and the rest have not yet decided. Advantages of this solution:
  • Children will receive quality education this academic year
  • They will learn Romanian, as it will be a compulsory language in the Ukrainian School in Sibiu
  • Due to the fact that the school will be open all day long, parents will have the possibility to have full time jobs
  • This environment will give students the opportunity to socialize, and thus solve possible significant psychological problems for both children and parents
  • Parents will also be involved in school activities and thus interact with the community on a regular basis
  • The school will also develop a programme outside school hours; on weekends and after school, functioning as an educational hub (for Romanian language study, artistic activities and various training and educational sessions)
"In the spring it was considered the same solution of online education as during the pandemic, but this form of education is not suitable especially for young children. So we are looking to make this initiative of the Ukrainian school a reality for Ukrainian children here in Sibiu. The first step we are taking now is to open the primary school on 1 October, and hopefully we will be able to open it for secondary and high school students." concludes Eugene Vovk, coordinator of programs dedicated to refugees from Ukraine of SUS INIMA. The Ukrainian Primary School in Sibiu is a project co-financed by SWISS SOLIDARITY and Canpack Romania. If you want to support our activities, you can contact the SUS INIMA team: office@susinima.eu, comunicare@susinima.eu, susinimasibiu@gmail.com

Sus Inima and Chaîne Du Bonheur La Suisse Solidaire

Following the funder selection, SUS INIMA wins a grant from CHAÎNE DU BONHEUR LA SUISSE SOLIDAIRE. With this funding, efforts to support Ukrainian refugees in Sibiu can continue. From the grant, 391 refugee families will be supported with access to food, accommodation, information, etc. Providing basic food every three days gives mental comfort and a sense of security, especially to refugee mothers with children. Thus, they can consider options related to the economic and educational-cultural offer in Sibiu. Refugees can thus focus on their future options, the possibility of applying for political asylum, integration in the labour market, in the educational sphere, active participation in local cultural life, without having to worry about tomorrow. Through this project, 6256 basic baskets will be made, containing: flour, oil, cornflour, pasta, buckwheat, non-perishable preserves (tomato sauce, peas, meat, pâté), musli, waffles, a jar of jam, a loaf of bread and two 2-litre bottles of water. The value is RON 108. A family has access to an average of 8 such basic baskets per month.

Anca Gavrilă – “Everything we receive is a gift if we learn to look at it from the right angle.”

Behind the association SUS INIMA there is, obviously, a team of dedicated people who are making the magic happen. These people deserve to be known because their stories are impressive, each one being an inspiration. Today we're going to talk about Anca Gavrilă. The first thing you notice when talking to Anca is her dynamism. You have to keep up with her. She's always doing something and it seems like she's programmed to "give". She’s a problem solver and a solution finder, a trait shared by the whole SUS INIMA team. It can be a challenge to introduce her because you don’t know what to say first. She’s a multitasker and her story is compelling, rich, because Anca never had time to get bored. Of the many roles she plays in this life, the first one I choose to mention is that of Oncology Navigator. An Oncology Navigator is a person trained to help patients navigate the difficult path that awaits them following their diagnosis. The infrastructure is severely lacking in this regard and most patients who wake up with this diagnosis do not know which way to turn and what the steps would be. There is no clear source of information on the coherent course of events and treatments. Thus the occupation of Oncology Navigator was born. Anca sees the events in her life as gifts and one of the gifts was discovering her diagnosis early. Yes, Anca is also an oncological patient, and this helps her understand on a deeper level the needs of the patients. She discovered the cancer in 2017, after changing her diet and losing 25 kg. She felt a lump in her right breast. She didn’t think twice and went for an ultrasound, then a mammogram, then oncological investigations. It took 30 days before her fears were confirmed. She went into this story in high spirits, she was in a period of healthy weight loss and had a lot of zest for life. This helped her tremendously to have a positive attitude no matter how difficult the road sometimes became. She was recommended to do surgery and then specific treatment, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. She had the surgery in Cluj and found it as an easy experience because she was home in 3 days. She was lucky to find a good surgeon, but after the operation the surgeon is no longer involved in the process. When the post-operative sick leave came to an end, the question “What do I do now?” came up. It was a difficult time because she found there was no one to guide her, no one to ask what the next step was. She learned what to do next from a friend who had an acquaintance who was going through the same process. This was followed, two months after the operation, by 4 doses of chemotherapy. By the third dose, the pain, weakness and helplessness were far beyond what she would have expected to experience, which gave rise to a state of humiliation which she finds hard to describe. It was an extremely difficult period in which she felt a lot of fear, especially at night, a period she managed to get through only with the help of God and her family. Another of Ana’s roles is being a mother. Her son was 4 years old at the time and the emotions she felt when she thought of him were oscillating. His presence was a source of strength, telling herself that having him she would be able to fight, but the thought immediately arose that if she gave in, the child would grow up without a mother. Another challenge was the financial aspect. Doing the treatments in Cluj, there was a lot of travel, nights of accommodation, food and many other unforeseen expenses, which sometimes were quite high. This diagnosis has taught her that she has to find something good in everything that happens to her, and she passes this on to the patients she works with. It motivates her that people open up to her when they find out she has also gone through the illness. When she looks back, the most difficult times were when she didn’t know what was next. Anca has found that doctors don’t have much knowledge about going through this illness. She managed to find out where to turn, who was going to give her treatments and sick leave next, and generally what to expect, asking questions left and right. That was the moment she vowed to do her best to inform as many people as possible about what to do when they go through this disease. A good friend who had also been through cancer told her that she needed to learn to live with cancer, just as others live with diabetes, high blood pressure, missing a leg, or any other health problem. She also communicates this with conviction to everyone she works with in her work as a Cancer Patient Navigator. You remain a cancer patient for life, because what caused a tumor to form stays with you even after the tumor is removed, and the chances of recurrence are higher. But Anca sees this as another gift. Because cancer patients have to go for regular check-ups, they can spot any recurrence early on. She sees the diagnosis as a gift from God because she has noticed, both in herself and in many others who receive Sus Inima’s services, that the diagnosis came as a result of a trivial event, which she cannot explain in any other way than by Divine intervention. The Sus Inima Association came into her life when Carmen Chindriș saw her on the street, almost bald, and suggested to take the pilot Cancer Patient Navigator course together. Thinking about how hard it was for her when she was struggling through the system herself, she decided to take the course. Soon after, she took over the accounting side of the association, because Anca is an accountant. The Navigators course was full of patients and former patients. They were introduced, one by one, to all types of cancer. The presentation went from suspicion to treatment and encouraged them to bring their medical records to better understand their disease. When she brought in her records, she finally understood what happened to her during her treatment and why certain decisions were made. Unfortunately oncologists are not willing to explain, they don’t have the time or patience. From her navigator courses, but also from her own experience, she has learned how important it is what and how you talk with the patients and carers, because you can give them misconceptions and they might end up blaming themselves for the disease they have. Anca also talked a bout how quickly people’s mood improves when they realise they are not alone and that there is life after cancer and Anca is a true example. People get sad, tired, depressed and after a few days at Sus Inima, they flourish. The association’s motto is “So that no one goes through cancer alone” and Anca thinks it’s the best possible message. Even today, after all this time, after having a conversation with a patient, the moment she finishes, or hangs up the phone, she says to herself “so that no one goes through cancer alone”. Through her illness, Anca has herself become a gift to all people who need support and guidance. Perhaps her tumor was a blessing in disguise that transformed A nca into an instrument through which God continues to give gifts to those in need. So, her theory holds true, everything we receive is a gift if we learn to look at it from the right angle.