Cristina has spent much of her life caring for children.
First as a pediatrician in Romania, and now as a specialized foster parent in Canada, she has been there for children and families during some of their most vulnerable moments. Through it all, one belief has guided her: caring for a child means looking beyond a diagnosis to understand the whole person in front of you.
“A child is not an adult in miniature,” Cristina says. “I looked at the big picture of the child.”
That philosophy is deeply personal.
When Cristina was five, she witnessed the death of her younger brother after he was struck by a drunk driver. A year later, another brother developed viral encephalitis, permanently affecting his development.
Those experiences would eventually shape the course of her life.
As she grew older, Cristina began searching for a way to make meaning from what her family had endured. She couldn’t change what had happened to her brothers. But perhaps she could change what happened next for another child.
“I developed this idea that I wanted to give meaning to my first brother’s death and my second brother’s illness,” she says. “This was going to be my role in life: to help other kids and their families never go through what I’ve been through.”
That sense of purpose led Cristina to become a pediatrician. Decades later, it continues to guide her and her husband as they open their home to children with complex medical and developmental needs.
Over the years, their family has relied on specialized care across the region. Along the way, Surrey Memorial Hospital has become an important part of their story.
Exceptional Care that Started at Surrey Memorial Hospital
Caring for children with complex needs has brought moments when Cristina and her husband needed additional support themselves.
During one serious crisis, a child in their care was transferred to the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Stabilization Unit (CAPSU) at Surrey Memorial Hospital.
“The care in CAPSU was nothing short of stellar,” Cristina says. “The kindness of the personnel and the professionalism of the doctors involved was incredible. They went above and beyond.”
What stayed with Cristina was not only the care the child received in hospital, but the support their family felt afterwards.
When another crisis occurred at home, Cristina and her husband reached out to the CAPSU team. Someone listened, heard what they were going through and made sure their concerns reached the physician.
Soon, they received a call back.
“We felt very well supported, not only during the stay, but afterwards,” she says. “In our moment of crisis, we got a helping hand.”
For a family navigating moments of uncertainty, that helping hand meant they didn’t have to navigate them alone.
The Importance of Emergency Care Designed for Children
Another child would bring Cristina and her husband back into Surrey Memorial Hospital’s care.
This time, it was a two-month-old baby who had suffered devastating injuries from being shaken. The infant was critically ill, experiencing severe seizures because of extensive brain and retinal hemorrhaging.
Cristina understood how serious the situation was. As a retired pediatrician, she also knew how much depended on recognizing the child’s injuries and acting quickly.
“I credit the exceptional care at the emergency room — the quick thinking and professional experience,” she says.
The team at Surrey Memorial recognized the severity of the child’s injuries and acted immediately, ensuring she received the urgent care she needed.
At the time, the outlook was difficult. Cristina remembers being told the child could experience profound cognitive and physical disabilities.
But the years that followed told a different story.
The child continued to grow, learn and reach milestones. Today, Cristina describes a typical seven-year-old.
“We credit the care the child first received at Surrey Memorial as being of crucial importance for her future development,” she says. “If they hadn’t diagnosed her and intervened right away…”
For Cristina, there is a lot contained in that unfinished sentence.
She knows how much can depend on what happens in those first critical moments.
“That prompt intervention can make the difference between life and death, or lifelong disabilities,” she says.
It is one reason Surrey Memorial Hospital’s dedicated Pediatric Emergency Department means so much to her.
“The pediatric emergency, the way it’s designed, fills my heart with joy.”
A Lifetime of Caring for Children
For Cristina, caring for children has taken many forms. As a physician, as a foster parent and as someone who understands personally how deeply a child’s health can affect an entire family.
She and her husband have no plans to stop opening their home to children who need them.
“For as long as our health allows, we will continue doing this,” she says.
And she hopes the care available to children in Surrey will continue to grow alongside the community.
“I hope doctors continue to bring not only their professionalism, but also their heart and soul.”
Cristina has spent much of her life caring for children and helping families through moments they never expected to face.
But when she looks back on everything she has given, she doesn’t see her story as one of sacrifice.
Quite the opposite.
“I received back from the children I cared for way more than I ever gave them.”
