Would you like to see me ride a bike? I won't fall!

From up the hill, as the road bends sharply through the village of Pângărați, in Neamț County, Petronela rushes down with a burst of joy on her new bicycle. Lively and full of energy, she proudly shows us that she can keep her balance just by sitting in the saddle, then stops suddenly with an unexpected foot brake. It’s only when she comes closer that you notice how she steers, hugging the grips with her skillful little arms, in a gesture driven more by will than by anatomy.

She is Petronela, a nine-year-old girl with delicate freckles and a contagious laugh. The youngest in her family, she fills the modest home she shares with her parents and two brothers with joy. Attentive to everything around her, she peeks at you mischievously through her honey-colored bangs, then bends once more over her drawing, carefully bringing every detail to life. She is sketching a family portrait where each member’s face is framed in a small picture, a moving gesture of love and, at the same time, a testament to her passion. Everyone knows that Petronela loves most of all to draw and color, and every piece that comes from her little hands shows it.

She is the only one of Iulia’s children born with both forearms shorter than usual, slightly turned inward. “It’s how God wanted it…”, sighs her mother. The cause lies in the slower development of her tendons, which can’t keep up with the pace with the growth of her arms. So far, Petronela has undergone five complex surgeries, each followed by months of recovery at the children’s hospital in Iași, her father Ciprian recalls. The first surgery was also the hardest: when she was only four years old, doctors fitted her right hand with a distractor with rods and an Allen key. Every few days, the key was turned, gently lengthening the tendon while her forearm slowly straightened, little by little. 

When other children ask her about her hands, she just says: “I went to Iași and had a surgery. That’s all.” And there’s nothing more for her to say, because she just adds a quiet “Nuh-uh!” to make it clear that the length of her arms doesn’t bother her in the least. Then, with determination, she grabs the first notebook on the table to show us how beautifully she rounds each of the letters she wrote.  

Right after we learned that Petronela had already started using her left hand, even before going to kindergarten, her father added: 

With this hand, the tendon grows more slowly, but at least it stretches. From this, Petronela draws hope that maybe, just maybe, she won’t have to double the suffering she will face in the years ahead, next time in the spring of 2026, when the next surgery is already scheduled by the doctors from Iași. 

But it isn’t just the thought of the pain that weighs on her, it’s also knowing she’ll have to miss school again, where she truly loves to go. 

Now she is in third grade now, practicing the division tables.

Iulia didn’t hesitate for a second when Florin, the community’s social worker, explained to her the importance of getting the school guidance certificate. It was also Florin who encouraged and supported her to go to school and apply for the school support allowance.

Florin has been close to Petronela’s family for a long time, and he holds a special affection for her. He has visited them and offered help whenever he could, speaking to her parents about the social services they are entitled to and how to access them. “Basically, everything that could be done from our part”, he admits. He assisted them in preparing the paperwork needed for the family to receive the minimum inclusion income and other benefits for children. But most importantly, he guided them to prepare and submit the application for Petronela’s disability certificate and allowance.

She will continue to need support and Florin remains by her side. He knows that Petronela will need to undergo surgery every year, especially now, as she approaches adolescence and her growth will intensify. The little girl also needs kinesitherapy, which she started in Târgu-Frumos but had to stop it because her family couldn’t afford the cost. With the right support, she could continue her treatment and, little by little, regain some mobility.

Until then, Petronela wishes for simple things, like her first visit to an art museum and “a toy that everyone has. It’s called a kendama”. Once again, she proves that she can achieve anything she sets her mind to, even if it demands more effort than it does for others. It is precisely her perseverance that allows her to succeed where others would give up.