The Launch of Carmen Uscatu’s book: “The Year I Didn’t Die”

Carmen Uscatu, the President and co-founder of Dăruiește Viață/Give Life, posted on LinkedIn:

“THANKS.
This time to the people who made yesterday possible. Of course there are many, if I think of all those who have been my pillar in those 50 years.
In this post, however, I would like to thank those who, by magic, hosted the launch of my book The Year I Didn’t Die. And to those who were by my side, to give it the shape that you can now enjoy. To those who turned my word from google drive into a book on a shelf.
The book can be found in Humanitas bookstores and online on the Humanitas website.

Lidia Bodea – the lady who trusted me and told me: you write that we publish it. I’m sorry, Lidia, that yesterday you couldn’t, for objective reasons, be with us
Gabriel Liiceanu – I thank Mr. Liiceanu for the successful negotiation he had with time. This is how he managed to be part of the emotion that we all experienced yesterday and managed to write the fourth cover of the book
Alexandru Stermin – I thank Sandu for his authenticity, energy, hug, preface, presence, warm messages, and for the fact that his only day off on the calendar was November 22nd. Then they all tied a string.
Andreea Nita – editor Humanitas. We were born on the same day, so we celebrated at the launch. more me than her. we’re going to have a coffee together where I’d like it to be about Andreea.
Gabriela Maaz – on the phone: hello, I am stress. Carmen, trust us, we’ll fit in. But the tickets are sold out and people want to come. to come. and they came.
Sorana Stănescu – editor – dialogues: maybe it’s relevant to you. Think about whether it is also for the reader. Kill your darlings. Hm. I killed some of them.
Cornel Brad – cover – the discussion went something like this: get a pair of stretch pants and let’s go. But I haven’t worn it in my life, it doesn’t represent me. Trust. I had. I also owe him that he didn’t delay the plane so long and we have beautiful photos at the launch
Petru Ioje – book cover and event poster designer – this time I wrote her name correctly, I hope I was forgiven, I also put a heart on her name, at the autograph.
Catalina Flaminzeanu – interior cover photo
Banu Stefan – photo bookmark.”

Carmen Uscatu is the President and co-founder of Dăruiește Viață / Give Life, one of the most well known NGOs in Romania and the NGO that has started and has implemented the initiative #WeBuildAHospital – building a children’s Hospital for scratch, exclusively from donations and sponsorships, a Hospital dedicated to ensuring multidisciplinary care to children with severe diseases, with a focus on cancer. She started volunteering in her free time before founding Dăruiește Viață, in 2012, with the purpose of drastically changing the way medical care is provided in Romania. 

By the end of 2023, Dăruiește Viață had invested over 76M EUR in the public health system, implementing infrastructure projects, donating medical equipments, supporting patients and medical staff. The Hospital built in Bucharest is currently functional, treating children in the following specialties: oncology, neurosurgery, surgery, ICU and operating theatre with 5 operating rooms. In addition, the Hospital will include in the near future a transplant department and a radiotherapy department. Besides the Hospital, Dăruiește Viață has modernised and brought to nowadays standards oncology departments for children and adults in 8 hospitals across the country, has built 20 clean rooms thus tripling Romania’s transplant capacity, has built and equipped two laboratories for in-depth diagnosis of leukemia, has built two modular ICU hospitals during the pandemic and has donated over 17 tons of PPE. The Hospital project continues with the NGO planning to develop the project into the first pediatric medical campus in Romania.