The “Holy Empress Helen” Counseling and Information Center / For Life magazine no 10, Spring 2021

A new helpcenter for women in pregnancy crisis was inaugurated in Bucharest. Patriarch Daniel of Romania donated an icon and over 6,000 Euros for the social assistance institution.

The “Holy Empress Helen” Counseling and Information Centerwas inaugurated on Sunday, August 16, 2020. The event was possible thanks to the 300 donors from Romania and abroad who contributed 21,000 EUR to the fundraiser held between June 8 and July 16, 2020. The campaign slogan was “Restore Hope to Both of Them”.

The most heartfelt – and sizeable – donation (a third of the funds raised) was made by His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church. The patriarch also donated an icon of the Holy Emperors Constantine and Helena.

The blessing service was officiated by Father Ciprian Ioniță, Patriarchal Counselor and Coordinator of the Social-Philanthropic Sector of the Romanian Patriarchate. He congratulated and encouraged all those involved in the opening of the center.

The event was attended by workers from the center and several people who supported the fundraising campaign “Restoring Hope for Both of Them”. The inauguration was concluded with a children’s book launch by writer and illustrator Veronica Iani, who presented “Courage”, the first book published in her “12 Keys” author’s collection.

Alexandra Nadane, Executive Director of the Association for Pregnant Women and Family Support, thanked all the donors and the people who helped with volunteer work the setting up of the center.

She also thanked His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of Romania, for his spiritual and material support, saying he was “a real father for children – both born and unborn”.

Please read below a few excerpts from Alexandra Nadane’s inaugural speech:

“We were in the middle of the pandemic, forced to stay indoors, when one day the phone rang. I answered it quickly because I was called on the crisis pregnancy number.

It was Delia. A stranger. She spoke with great difficulty. Barely breathing. She apologized for calling me, but she really needed help. She was two months pregnant and recently diagnosed with tuberculosis after a negative Covid-19 test. She was hospitalized, feeling very sick. And some doctors were telling her that she should give up her baby because it would be affected by the treatment. She was very afraid for this child that she wanted so much. Because of the restrictions and the diagnosis, Delia was completely alone. She couldn’t see her relatives or her husband.

I said to her what I have said to hundreds of women in crisis pregnancy whom I have met over the years: that she was not alone! That we were able to offer her support.

During the pandemic, there were many cases like Delia’s. Even before this global crisis, the St Alexandra’s Center was already receiving a lot of help requests, was confronted with limited workspace and a team of only two people specialized in social work and psychology. (…)

Often, there is only one chance to offer support to a woman in pregnancy crisis. Who could afford to miss it? We couldn’t.

If an unborn child is lost because its mother had nowhere to receive support from in her pregnancy crisis, that child could never be replaced. (…)”