Annual Report 2017 Raport Anual 2017 EN FINAL | Page 15

“Where We Were and Where We Are Now” – The Story
of Children with HIV at TEDx Constanta
Dr. Rodica Mătuşa, Baylor Black Sea Foundation`s former medical consultant was invited to speak at the
second edition af TEDx Constanţa.
Having as stage partners familiar names from Romania, such as Raed Arafat, Chief of the National
Emergency Department, Andrei Rosu, Tedy Necula or Ioana Chicet-Macoveiciuc, dr. Mătuşa touched the
audience with a speech about the HIV infected children from Constanţa County, Romania.
„When we diagnosed the first HIV infected children, everybody told us that we can`t do anything for
them, but we had to try, to find the best solutions. This is what we`ve fought for and that was my path”,
told dr. Mătuşa to the audience. She spoke about death, but also about life, about sorrow, but most of all
about hope, about lack of solutions and about miracles, moving from the time when nobody gave the HIV
infected children a chance to our times, when they are adults and proud parents of healthy children.
“Where we were and where we
are now” were in fact, the words
of a happy grandmother who,
after struggling for many years
with her son`s HIV infection,
held in her arms a precious gift
- her healthy grandson.
Applauded by everyone, con-
gratulated by the Mayor of
Constanţa, Decebal Făgădău, dr.
Rodica Mătuşa, conveyed the
message of hope, perseverance
and excellence in medicine, the
same way it was received by her,
almost 17 years ago, when, with
the support of Dr. Mark Kline,
Baylor
College
of
Medicine
and Texas Children’s Hospital
the world’s first Baylor Center
for HIV-infected children was
dedicated in Constanta.
This was the last event dr.
Rodica Mătuşa participated in
as Baylor Romania`s represen-
tative before retiring from her
professional activity.
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