On August 19, Hospice Casa Albert, with the financial assistance of the Vodafone Foundation, organized an excursion for the project’s young patients.

Presently, Hospice Casa Albert offers at-home palliative care services for 86 patients, 33 of whom are children.  Due to health restraints, not all of the 33 children could attend the excursion, but for the 13 children who participated, the event was filled with excitement and smiles.

The excursion involved visiting three tourist attractions in Targu Neamt, lots of play-time, and some relaxation time as well. The first attraction visited was the Ion Creanga Memorial House.  Here the children learned more about the beloved author, discovered the joy of Nica’s childhood moments, and identified characters from the author’s most famous works.

After leaving the Ion Creanga Memorial House, the group headed to Neamt Fortress.  The children curiously explored the various rooms in the fortress before leaving for the final destination: the Dragos Voda Zoo.  At the zoo, the young patients saw bison, peacocks, and other animals they had only previously seen in their dreams.

For the majority of the children, the excursion was a new experience, an experience that allowed them to forget about their illnesses, to take in new places and new sites, and to live the joys and wonders of childhood.  All of the wonderful children expressed their enthusiasm throughout the trip and were so happy to experience something new in their lives and visit other locations in their country instead of just going on a medical/health-related ‘trip.’