Latest News

• A compatible living donor has been found.
  Compatibility has already been established at the Clinical Institute Fundeni. This is not new, but it is the most important news, and will always stay at the top.
• June 8 2005: The entire amount of 85000 &euro has been reached and exceeded, to cover, besides the transplant, the expenses for four months for the Hogas family, in Brussels. Read this article in the news (in Romanian). There is also an ongoing teledon where 5 &euro are being donated for each call to 090-090-00-50. According to the above article, some 2000 &euro have been raised so far this way. This money is crucial for the post-operatory care and the living expenses in Brussels.
  
  The not so good news is that Mihaita is not doing too well. His bilirubin has reached 47 and there are signs that it's beginning to affect his nervous system. We all pray that the transplant will be done, and done on time. Gabriela just found out that a 10 months baby girl from Neamt, Romania (my home county), died a few days ago of the exact same illness as Mihaita. God rest her soul!
• June 3rd 2005: The Hogas family has been invited on a major Romanian tv hit show (Surprize, surprize), and has received a major donation of 10000 &euro from the show. It seems that the entire amount is now available, due to heavy campaining and fundraising by super-mom Gabriela.
• May 16 2005: Message from Gabriela.
  "The bad news continue, as his bilirubin has reached 33. It is pretty scary. We're trying to do a hepatic dialysis but so far the doctors are turning us down for the dialysis too, because he is too little. We're looking for some special filters suitable for his weight. People in this area or whoever can do a little research, please let me know where I could get such filters. Unfortunately all I know is this: filters for hepatic dialysis for a 7kg baby, 1 year and 3 months of age, that Mihaita is now."
• May 07 2005: Message from Gabriela.
  "I want to say a few words about Mihaita because I took him to the doctor on Thursday, and she wasn't pleased by his state at all. She said the spleen and the liver were big, bigger than usual. The liver seemed hard and she said it wasn't a good sign. The transplant must be done urgently. We have also noticed that Mihaita is getting tired more. He wants to walk and play, but he simply stops to catch his breath, and breathes with difficulty. Then he starts over, but these states(?) do not help at all. They destroy us with every day that passes that we are not in a plane to a hospital that can operate on him as soon as possible, be it Belgium or Austria. Other than that, he is the same cutie and he is super cute when he smiles as he plays with a toy phone, he puts it to his ear and says daddy daddy daddy. He knows no mother, as she is mostly on the road."
• April 21 2005: Very good news: the catheterism has gone well. The cardiologists have concluded that the baby's heart can outstand any surgical procedure, including a liver transplant. There have been inherent difficulties with the catheterism (such as how do you keep a 1 year old still after the surgery, or how do you change his diapers?), but God's grace is great, and all is well.
• April 19 2005: Mihaita has had the catheterism done, and is now recovering. We are waiting for the results, hoping for the best.
• April 18 2005: Called Doctors Without Fronteers (Medecins Sans Frontieres) and they said they only help entire populations, not individuals, and liver transplant is beyond what they can do.
  Called St. Jude hospital, and they don't do liver transplant, only cancer research. Children with cancer, leukemia, etc. might have a good chance there.
  Motanik (London) called Great Ormond Street Hospital and they don't do liver transplant either. We were referred to King's College where it costs 120 000 Pounds.
  Also called the Catholic Relief Services, and they firmly directed me to their branch in Romania. Someone from Bucharest has to contact them.
  
• April 15 2005: News from Gabriela: Mihaita has been off IV for three days now, and the whole family has been at a private home in Bucharest. They are trying unsuccessfully to feed the baby, who refuses any food. However the baby is full of energy and he's trying to walk and play, and he laughs.
  Mihaita will have a very important medical procedure (catheterism) done to him probably some time next week. He had a bilirubin test done today.
• April 15 2005: Contacted
  • children's hospitals from Philadelphia, Boston and Johns Hopkins (US)
  • Great Ormond Street Hospital and King's College (England)

  GOSH said they don't do liver transplant. The others are willing to help, but the prices start at $145 000 - $150 000. All require blood tests for the baby and the donor, and if everything is ok, the baby must be evaluated by a team of specialists at these hospitals.

• April 9 2005: Started this project in an attempt to centralize and coordinate the rescue effort for baby Hogas. So help us God!
• April 8 2005: Mihai's bilirubin has reached 28!!!