If this little girl goes back to Romania she'll die..
If this little girl goes back to Romania she'll die.. I can't allow that to happen to her; MUM BATTLES TO KEEP DISABLED ORPHAN IN IRELAND.
Byline: ELAINE KEOGH
THE future of a disabled four-year-old Romanian orphan who is in Ireland for medical treatment hung in the balance last night.
Romanian authorities changed their decision to let Mihaela Porumbaru stay here.
But last night her foster mother Briege Hughes from Dundalk in Co Louth was distraught.
The social worker, who has brought Mihaela to Ireland several times, did not know where to turn.
She said: "I'm worried if I don't send her back I will never see her again."
Earlier yesterday afternoon social worker Elena Stancu was able to assure the family and local deputy Seamus Kirk that Mihaela could stay and meet four consultants next month.
However, at tea time she returned to tell the family that Mihaela had to go back with her on a flight to Romania this morning.
Briege was told Mihaela must return home until the commission of the orphanage in Dambovita, about 100 miles from Bucharest, meets on September 4 to decide whether to allow her to return for medical care.
Mihaela was abandoned at birth after being crushed into a cardboard
Briege believes being forced into the box may have caused the spinal injuries that have left her paralysed from the waist down.
If Mihaela returns to Romania she will most likely be sent to a psychiatric hospital psychiatric hospital
A hospital for the care and treatment of patients affected with acute or chronic mental illness. Also called mental hospital. for adults although she has no psychiatric or mental problems.
Briege, who has started the process to formally adopt the girl, said: "I want her to stay here and get the treatment she needs.
"She has appointments to see a consultant paediatrician, orthopaedic surgeon, neurosurgeon neurosurgeon
a physician who specializes in neurosurgery.
Two years ago Briege founded the Frank Hughes Memorial Foundation in memory of her late husband and drew up plans to build a 25-bedroom hospital in Dundalk for abandoned children.
It was on a visit to an orphanage which housed hundreds of abandoned children that she saw the then two-year-old Mihaela and arranged the first of four visits to Ireland.
Mihaela stays with Briege and her five children in Newtownbalreagan and her passport is stamped to allow her to stay in Ireland until November.
Local TD Seamus Kirk stepped in when it was learned on Saturday that Mihaela may have to return home.
He contacted the Romanian authorities yesterday afternoon to get an assurance that Mihaela could remain in Ireland.
He said: "We need to put specific diplomatic arrangements in place to support families who are providing foster care for Romanian children."
And Mr Kirk's plea seemed to have worked when it was decided to let Mihaela stay on.
He added: "When I explained the situation about Mihaela needing urgent paediatric Adj. 1. paediatric - of or relating to the medical care of children; "pediatric dentist"
pediatric treatment to the representative of the foster agency, they initially agreed to allow her stay on that basis."
That put the smile back on Mihaela's face and she used her step-family's mobile phone to tell her young Irish friends the good news.
But a few hours later the child was glum
She has told her Irish family that she doesn't want to go on the aeroplane.
Family friend Niamh Phillips said: "There is no reason for her to go back to Romania.
"She is loved and looked after here and has achieved so much in the last two months."
Meanwhile, fundraising is continuing for the hospital for abandoned Romanian children.
Briege needs pounds 1million to build it but operating costs operating costs npl → gastos mpl operacionales will be in the region of pounds 15million.
Donations can be made to Bank of Ireland This article is about the commercial banking company Bank of Ireland. For the central bank of the Republic of Ireland, see Central Bank of Ireland.
The Bank of Ireland (Irish: Banc na hÉireann account no: 24984489.
CAPTION(S):
HAPPY TALK: Mihaela spreading the news Spreading the News is a short one-act comic play by Lady Gregory, which she wrote for the opening night of the Abbey Theatre in Dublin, 27 Dec. 1904. It was on a double bill with William Butler Yeats's On Baile's Strand. yesterday; DETERMINED: Foster mum Briege Hughes will do all in her power for Mihaela; ASSISTANCE: Louth TD Seamus Kirk; BEST PALS: Mihaela and Ceili Phillip
- For Australian rules footballer of the same name see Frank 'Checker' Hughes.
(born October 1, 1949 in Fernie, British Columbia) is a retired professional ice hockey player who played 392 games in the World Hockey Association and 5 games in