A Hospice of Hope for Moldova

The good news is that we have now reached 25% of the total estimated cost ($5 million) for the new hospice project and we hope that the GlobalGiving community will help us to reach 50%, before we go to the big international institutions for the final 50%. 

We have recently sent out the tenders for the concept design and planning stage and will receive these back by mid-August. This will help us to be able to increase the visibility of the project and move to the next stage.

Meanwhile, the Hospices of Hope Moldova team in Chisinau is caring for a growing number of patients in the community, and we also continuing to support the mobile teams in Soroca, Orhei and Balti. 

Anna, our CEO,  wrote this story about a patient she visited:

"Vasile is just 41 years old, a husband and father of a five-year-old daughter and living with advanced bowel cancer in rural Moldova. He and his family live with his in-laws in a house bought over 40 years ago. Years of financial hardship have left it in a state of disrepair. His bedroom is little more than a cupboard – just large enough for a bed, with no window and very little natural light. 

When he was first diagnosed, he underwent chemotherapy. After just four sessions, the cancer spread to his spine, leaving him paralysed. With no further treatment available, he was discharged from the state healthcare system and, as his family described it, left "to fate." Like many families in Moldova, they simply could not afford healthcare, even from the state. The family survives on the equivalent of around €150 per month and said that a single consultation with a doctor costs more than this.

When our hospice team first met him, he had already developed severe pressure sores as a result of being confined to bed. While they cannot completely reverse the damage, they visit regularly to change his dressings, manage his pain and prevent the wounds from deteriorating further. Without specialist equipment, the family have found extraordinary ways to care for him. Unable to afford a hoist, they have tied ropes around the bed so he can help pull himself into a different position and assist the nurse during dressing changes. 

During the warmer months, his greatest wish is simply to spend time outdoors. Every morning, his father-in-law carefully carries him outside and settles him on an old, worn sofa, before carrying him back inside again each evening. For a few hours he can feel the warmth of the sun and be surrounded by his family rather than the four walls of his small bedroom. 

Today, thanks to hospice care, he receives regular medical support, pain management, wound care and emotional support, all provided free of charge. His family no longer faces this journey alone. 

Sadly, his story is far from unique. Across Moldova, many people living with life-limiting illnesses have little or no access to palliative care. Families often shoulder the burden alone, without the equipment, medication or professional support they desperately need."

As Anna has said, there is a huge need to improve access to palliative care in the country and this project will not only provide the first dedicated hospice facility in Chisinau, but will also be a teaching centre for palliative care, where doctors, nurses and other health care professionals from across the country can receive training in order to improve quality of life for the many thousands of patients who are diagnosed with cancer and other severe illnesses each year. 

I also visited Chisinau a few weeks ago to attend the American-Moldovan convention, which for the first time was held in Chisinau. I was able to make contact with some successful business people and a journalist who now live in the US, and we are hoping that this will translate into more support for the hospice. 

We recently held our annual sponsored cycle event in Moldova, which raised. $15,000 for the charity. I was also very encouraged to receive a donation of $20,000 from a friend of one of the cyclists who lives in the U.S. and who had lost a family member with cancer and knew how vital it was to support this project. 

 Thank you for your interest,

Graham Perolls

Founder and Development Director, Hospices of Hope

Links:

• Impact review 2025

Our founder, Graham Perolls, has recently returned from a visit to Moldova. He met with a Senior Engineering Project Manager, who advised on the "roadmap" for completing the project to build the first in-patient hospice in Moldova. He inspected the land plot and was pleased with the potential it offered. Graham also met with the President's advisor on health in order to sign a memorandum of understanding with the Health Ministry. This will help in accessing institutional funds. He had a good meeting with the Dean of the Architecture School in Chisinau and discussed various options regarding the appointment of an architect. He was pleased to be able to spend time with the clinical team based at the "Centre of Hope" in Chisinau, where the home-care team is based and where patients can attend the day centre and out-patient clinic. His visit coincided with the week when women are celebrated and the fundraising team had raised the amazing sum of $25,000 through selling "martisor"- small tokens to mark the beginning of Spring and to wish each other happiness. So far, 17% of the total funds needed has been raised, so there is a big challenge ahead, but Graham said "there are so many patients in Chisinau with complex needs that need the shelter and care that an in-patient hospice can provide. We will not leave any stone unturned in order to turn this dream into a reality." 

Below is an update recently received from Mihai,  physiotherapist from our hospice team in Chisinau, Moldova.

 “Between September and December 2025, I provided physiotherapy at the Day Care Centre and through home visits, supporting patients with chronic and neurological conditions. During this time, I carried out 99 home visits and 115 day centre sessions, offering personalised therapy to each patient. 

Each session included assessments to guide therapy, exercises to build mobility, strength, balance, and coordination, and manual therapy and stretching to ease pain and maintain flexibility. Breathing exercises helped with relaxation, and carers were trained in how to safely help the patients, and prevent complications, so they could continue making progress at home.

Many patients became more mobile, experienced less pain, and could manage daily activities more easily. They also engaged more with their exercises, and families became more involved, learning how to support recovery and boost confidence and independence.

There were challenges, including patients with advanced impairments, multiple health issues, or fluctuating conditions, as well as some patients being hospitalised. Their plans were adapted as needed and I provided guidance to carers to help them cope with difficult situations. Working closely with doctors, nurses, and other staff ensured care was coordinated and goals were regularly reviewed.

It is very rewarding to see the improvement that is possible through good care and emotional support."

We have attached some photos of Mihai working with some of his patients, and the hospice care team.