She has a superstar name and it suits her. Rihanna (Ria, as her family affectionatelly calls her) loves music, is energetic and very loved.
When she rides around the yard on her little pink kick scooter, her hair tails in the wind, you almost want to forget how many hardships she faces every day and how sad her start in life was.
She was a pint-sized baby when she was abandoned by her parents in hospital.
Ria has been diagnosed with Down syndrome, so things considered trivial by others, such as walking, eating or talking, have come much harder for her.
Seven and a half years after she was left alone in the hospital, after hundreds of hours of therapy and a boundless love from a foster mother and her family, Ria can now run, hold a spoon by herself, count to 15 and say more and more words.
“It helped a lot that she was brought to us when she was little, because we always tried to take action. If we saw that she wasn’t talking, (…) that she had a hard time walking, we took care of it,” says Aurelia, the foster mother who has been taking care of the little girl since she was a month and a half old.
“She has many developmental delays, but with patience and effort, progress comes, even if it comes later.”
Every day, Aurelia continues at home with Ria the exercises she learned in the speech therapy and physical therapy sessions that they attend twice a week. She hopes that the little girl will improve her pronunciation and be able to say longer words and sentences, to cope in life and to feel accepted by others. Hesitantly, as if afraid to voice these worries, she says that she wants the big-hearted girl to know how to stay away from danger.
"When she took Rihanna into foster care, Mrs. Aurelia received a healthy child, whom the family abandoned in the hospital. Later, however, she noticed certain peculiarities in her development that foreshadowed a rather difficult diagnosis - Down Syndrome," says Iuliana Popescu, who coordinates the foster carers within the General Directorate of Social Assistance and Child Protection in Dolj county.
Less chances to get foster care for children with severe disabilities
For children with severe disabilities who grow up in residential care centers, the chances of being placed with a foster parent are lower.
Caring for them involves participating in therapies as well as habilitation and rehabilitation services—efforts that sometimes require exceptional dedication.
UNICEF works with partners to ensure that more children who need protection—including those with severe disabilities—can grow up in a family environment provided through foster care. Beyond specialized therapies, children need love and stability to thrive—which a family environment offers best.
A foster parent can change the life of children who need protection.
Help Ria and other children grow up in a family.
Activate a monthly donation now. Month after month, your contribution helps vulnerable children enjoy a better childhood.
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Why donate monthly?
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Frequently Asked Questions
UNICEF is the United Nations Children’s Fund, working to protect and promote the rights of every child, everywhere. We work to help the most vulnerable with health care and immunizations, safe water and sanitation, nutrition, education, emergency relief, and more.
Thanks to support from donors like you, we have been able to make a difference for children in need, to save, nurture, and protect the most vulnerable. We are active in over 190 countries and territories and have helped save more children’s lives than any other humanitarian organization.
You can choose to securely make a one-time or monthly donation online, by clicking the Donation button.
To contribute to a fundamental change in the lives of vulnerable children, the longer you choose to get involved, the more powerful your donation will be.
Vulnerable children’s lives can be improved with your constant support. By donating, you become an active part of the solution and of the change process.
The money raised is used where it is needed for vulnerable children. For example, to provide free access to specialized services for vulnerable children in Romania or offer a rapid and effective response to children affected by wars and natural disasters.
UNICEF asks for monthly contributions to help us provide sustainable long-term solutions to help children around the world.
Please note that the stories of children and price point descriptions mentioned (if any) are to illustrate activities and the impact your donation can make on the lives of vulnerable children from Romania and around the world. UNICEF, based on the needs on the ground, will allocate resources to areas that need funds the most.
A monthly gift is a recurring gift amount that you choose to send each month, and it is even more impactful because you're helping children every single day.
Your monthly gift will also enable us to plan effectively in our upcoming work, reduce costs and most importantly, reach even more children in need. The support and generosity of monthly donors contribute significantly to UNICEF efforts to help vulnerable children.
We will be sending you regular updates about UNICEF’s work for children in Romania and around the world.
Don't hesitate to contact us at [email protected] and we will be happy to assist you.
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