David and the never-ending world of emotions
Surrounded by the love of his mother and sisters, David, an 11-year-old boy from Neamț County, has exceeded doctors’ expectations in his battle with spastic tetraparesis and autism spectrum disorder
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The path to David winds through a garden bursting with flowers, where gentle cats glide silently at your side, as if guiding you to his door. Step inside his little room and you will meet the gaze of an 11-year-old boy, curious and full of life. The room is small, yet alive: the stove crackles softly in the background, blending with the quiet hum of the television, and the couch where he sits is scattered with pillows printed with photographs. This is David’s world: a tiny corner that holds an entire universe within it.
David carries the weight of multiple diagnoses, including spastic tetraparesis and autism spectrum disorder. These challenges shape his world, limiting his mobility and affecting his daily interactions. Yet David is a curious child, with vivid emotions and a heart full of emotion, expressing his love through gestures that speak louder than words, as his mother and personal assistant, Oana, describes him. He cannot walk, but he explores life with his hands, through warm, lingering embraces and through words that ignite his imagination.
He whispers “Toto”, his sweet nickname for his little sister Carina and instantly welcomes Pinocchio into his arms. This is his favorite toy: a small wooden boy, once rigid and lifeless, now alive through a touch of magic. Every evening, David listens to Pinocchio’s story with delight, asking Carina to read aloud as he drifts into sleep, soothed by her voice. Even his home tutor pampers him with stories after each lesson. David knows the “lines, and if you pause, he knows what comes next”, Carina tells us. Though he has just started fifth grade and begun working on his first worksheets, his green ball can still tempt him, and when it happens, the school must make room for play.
He calls out “Mom”, and the moment she appears, David smiles at her and gently caresses her cheek. It is in these small gestures that she finds the strength to carry on. With tears glistening in her eyes, she shares the countless sacrifices she has made to raise David and his sisters, Carina and Valentina, saying that “when you are on your own, there are many burdens on your mind and shoulders”.
At birth, he weighed just over a kilogram and the doctors feared that David might not survive. Today, however, “his neurologist in Târgu Mureș is amazed”, his mother tells. His progress has been remarkable, especially since he began receiving weekly visits from Mrs. Any, who travels from Bicaz, to provide him with physiotherapy and general stimulation sessions that nurture his recovery and help him explore the world in his own way.
Alongside the family is Iuliana, their community social worker, who visits them monthly, bringing encouragement, guidance and the encouragement they need to move forward. She helped them prepare the application for David’s disability allowance, facilitated his school enrollment and guided them to complete the paperwork for his school orientation certificate. Iuliana also supported David’s mother to access the minimum inclusion income and the social allowance for children.
Iuliana, seeing her work first and foremost as a way to bring goodness into the lives of others, says:
“A community social worker must be a comfort for those in need. Through the physiotherapy sessions, David has made remarkable progress.”
David’s mother whispers through tears, but with a voice full of hope:
“I’ve always pictured him walking and I know that God will make a miracle.”
It is no coincidence, then, that his favorite story is Pinocchio. Perhaps David listens to it so attentively because, within its pages, he finds the courage to hope that one day he too will walk like the little wooden boy and embrace his mother, just as Pinocchio once surprised old Geppetto.
UNICEF in David’s Life
David draws inspiration from the story of Pinocchio, hoping that one day, at the end of a physiotherapy session, he will stand and take his very first steps.
Every child has dreams, but they need support to make them come true. Social workers like Iuliana bring hope and guidance into the lives of vulnerable children. Today, you can be the one to help David and other children like him receive the support they need.
Go to david.unicef.ro now set up a monthly donation to help strengthen the network of social workers, especially in rural areas where needs are often the greatest. With your help, David and other vulnerable children can access the services they need, guided by dedicated social workers. Thank you.
Help David and other children like him to live the wonder of the first steps!
