The New Hospital: 2 Years of Doing Things Differently

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the expression a different kind of children's hospital? Do you think about modern treatment conditions, child-friendly design, and spaces built around the needs of young patients? Or do you think about state-of-the-art technologies that support medical teams and improve the quality of care? Does your mind focuses on a multidisciplinary approach centered around the patients' needs? Or do you highlight the importance of collaboration and continuous learning?

Two years after the opening of the new facility that Dăruiește Viață has built at Marie Curie Children's Hospital in Bucharest, we are reflecting on what a different kind of hospital truly means. What this new facility has brought to patients and their families, to the medical staff and, dare to say, to the paediatrics in Romania. 

We think about the infrastructure, but also about the people. Because we have learnt that infrastructure alone is not enough to give sick children better survival chances. We have started this project aiming to radically improve treatment conditions for children in Romania. Today, when marking two years since the facility has been operational, we would like to highlight some of the activities, the projects and the people that are making this transformation possible

The Pediatric Radiotherapy Department: a premier for Romania's public healthcare system

The Pediatric Radiotherapy Department is the first of its kind in a Romanian public hospital. What does this mean for children diagnosed with cancer? It means they can access all three forms of oncological treatment (chemotherapy, oncological surgery, and radiotherapy) in one place, without the need to move between hospitals.  

Dr. Adrian Radu, radiation oncologist, is part of the team treating patients using the latest technologies. With the support of Dăruiește Viață, he has also completed a fellowship at the Princess Máxima Center in the Netherlands, the largest pediatric oncology center in Europe. In addition, he has started a three-year PhD program coordinated by specialists from the Princess Máxima Center, aimed at developing an international guideline for radiotherapy in children with nephroblastoma.

It is estimated that one third of children diagnosed with cancer require radiotherapy, which previously was only available in adult oncology centers. What does the Pediatric Radiotherapy Department in the new Hospital mean for patients?

• Access to cutting-edge technologies, including one radiotherapy machine that uses artificial intelligence to identify treatment areas;
• A multidisciplinary team of specialists;
• International expertise: through a partnership with the Princess Máxima Center, every patient benefits from a twinning project with radiotherapy experts in the Netherlands to establish the treatment plan;
• A radiotherapy team trained internationally;
• Access to treatment for younger children who require anesthesia;
• A child-friendly environment designed to reduce anxiety, the radiotherapy bunkers are imagined as underground worlds (oceans and hidden caves).

An Integrated Pain Management Service: the only children’s hospital in Romania to actively search for and treat pain

Dr. Eugen Oleineac, pediatric anesthesiologist, has created the Integrated Pain Management Service with the support of Dăruiește Viață (through training, equipment acquisition, and educational materials), after completing a one-year fellowship at the Clinique de la Douleur, Hôpital de la Tour in Geneva. As a result, Marie S. Curie Children's Hospital became the only children’s hospital in Romania where pain is systematically assessed and effectively managed through dedicated tools, staff training, and educational materials for children and parents alike. A hospital that works differently means also a place where “ouch, it hurts” is never treated as normality. 

The Stem Cell Transplant Unit and the Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery Program: two initiatives for better chances at life

Dr. Mihaela Smărăndoiu, pediatric oncologist, is working to open the Stem Cell Transplant Unit, the first of its kind within the Marie S. Curie Children's Hospital, by the end of 2026. Opening the unit would provide comprehensive cancer treatment for children in a single location.

To prepare for this, Dr. Smărăndoiu completed a one-year fellowship at Bambino Gesù Hospital in Rome with the support of Dăruiește Viață, and has already submitted all required documentation to Romania’s Ministry of Health for staffing approval. She also has the full support of specialists from the Princess Máxima Center. The treatment infrastructure has already been built inside the new Hospital: five clean rooms, pre-transplant rooms, and spaces dedicated to the medical staff. 

Drug-resistant focal epilepsy can be cured, allowing children diagnosed with this condition to live normal lives. This is the mission of Dr. Oana Tarța-Arsene, pediatric neurologist and PhD, who is working to establish the Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery Program within the new Hospital. With the support of Dăruiește Viață, she has already requested the inclusion of the hospital in Romania’s National Epilepsy Surgery Program, currently available only for adults. This would allow the CNAS (National Health Insurance House) to reimburse the hospital for the equipments used in the procedure (e.g. electrodes) making it free-of-charge for patients. Approval from the Ministry of Health would mark the beginning of treatment for children with drug-resistant focal epilepsy. All necessary infrastructure has already been provided by Dăruiește Viață.

The Pediatric Oncology Department: multidisciplinary care focused on improving medical outcomes

The story of the new facility started from the oncology ward that was located in the old building: a place where 30 children and their mothers shared two toilets and one shower at the end of a hallway. After the relocation to the new Hospital, the Pediatric Oncology Department has patients rooms with only two beds and private bathrooms, a playroom for children, a dedicated visitors’ room, and adequate spaces for the medical teams.

But new infrastructure alone is not enough to improve the quality of care. It also requires continuous commitment, education, training, learning partnerships, and sharing of expertise. 

Dr. Ruxandra Vidlescu, Head of Department and pediatric oncologist and haematologist, coordinates the team both in expanding treatment capacity and in fostering continuous learning. In the last two years, after the relocation, the department's treatment capacity has almost tripled in number of patients. With the support of Dăruiește Viață, she also supports the professional development of the medical team through international training programs and partnerships with leading institutions such as the Princess Máxima Center in the Netherlands and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in the United States.

Dr. Ramona Cirț, pediatric oncologist and haematology specialist, completed a two-year fellowship at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in the United States specializing in neuro-oncology. She subsequently put together a multidisciplinary team dedicated to neuro-oncology to treat children with central nervous system tumors. The team includes oncologists, neurosurgeons, radiotherapists, and other specialists. In 2025 alone, the team treated 56 new patients.

Gabriela Mavrodin, Head Nurse of the Pediatric Oncology Department, coordinates the nursing team in implementing new medical protocols and workflows. Together with staff from the Princess Máxima Center, she facilitates international pediatric oncology training programs for her team and continues to share the Hospital’s story internationally. In 2025, she presented her team’s educational journey at the annual SIOP Conference (International Society of Pediatric Oncology).

A Hospital that embraces play: a place where children can continue being children

In the new Hospital built at Marie Curie, children have access to a variety of spaces created especially for play and exploration: a cinema, a radio studio, playrooms on every floor, an indoor garden, and even an astronomical observatory. In addition, Dăruiește Viață organizes weekly (re)creative activities for patients and parents alike, helping children continue living their childhood while hospitalized. In 2025, more than 1,500 children and accompanying parents participated in these activities: creative workshops, sports, journaling workshops, movie days, and many more.

Cătălin Grădinariu is a journalist and volunteer at Radio Dăruiește Viață. He created the “Reporter Giraffe” segment, capturing the rhythm of everyday life inside the Hospital. At least twice a week, he is present in the Hospital: conducting interviews, teaching children how to create their own radio shows, and going live from the studio.

The new Hospital built at Marie Curie has shown that things can be done differently. From the completion of the building and its operational launch to these past two years of transformation. We are grateful to everyone who stands alongside us and helps define, every single day, what a different kind of hospital truly means.

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Cover foto: Dr. Eugen Oleineac | Credit: Banu Ștefan