I’ve been volunteering for 5 years, first starting with the Exista un Erou project and then at the Bucharest-Ilfov Ambulance Service. I applied to join after losing someone very dear to me.

As part of the project, when someone calls 112, every volunteer within 1km is alerted through an app. They then have the chance to go to the address and give first aid until the specialised medical team arrives. It is an extraordinary programme because the more volunteers, the higher the chance of saving the life of someone who is in danger.

The most recent rescue mission I was involved in is an intervention at a subway station, where a young boy had tried to end his life. I arrived at the scene and no one was doing anything. I went close to the train, laid on my stomach and used a light to see the boy. I started talking to him and kept him conscious for 10-15 minutes, until the rescue team managed to get him out from under the train. The boy has now recovered and will be sent home from the hospital.

I would like others to know that this is a noble profession and that by volunteering in this field you can actually, single-handedly save someone’s life. My aspiration and my dream is to become a nurse for the Ambulance Service. I aspire to a better, more caring, more involved community, where people will recognize that our day to day work is important and will strive to help us save lives.

The best thing about this job is when people thank you with all their heart for having helped them. And, for me, this is more than enough for a lifetime.