By Dr. Giuseppe Martinelli, gynecologist at Aventino Medical Group, Rome
When the priest from the Vincentian Order married Giulia and me, we promised to devote part of our time and medical profession to the works run by their Order. The opportunity came a few months after I left the hospital following the unilateral termination of my contract.
An unexpected invitation
My wife’s friend from Apulia, sister Vincenziana, the head of Caritas in Albania, who often spent her summers cooling off in the Lucanian hills, immediately seized the opportunity when she heard of my new availability. She invited me to join her in Albania, in the province of Elbasan, where she directed a foster home in Mollas and a youth center in Cerrik. Many women there had no access to preventive care or gynecological assistance — some hadn’t been examined in years.
A young woman in search of help
In that context, I was asked to examine a young woman who helped the sisters manage the foster home, which still today hosts about a dozen abandoned children. She deeply longed for a pregnancy but had already suffered at least two late miscarriages. The gynecological exam seemed normal, but thanks to an ultrasound — done with a machine brought from Italy and restored through the efforts of the Rotary Club of the Apulia and Basilicata District — the cause emerged: a uterine septum dividing the cavity, preventing a full-term pregnancy.
A possible solution
The only option was to surgically remove the septum through a hysteroscopic metroplasty, under general anesthesia and with a minimally invasive technique. It required a well-equipped clinic, with an operating room, proper instruments, and trained staff — not easy to find in Albania, nor financially accessible.
The clinic, the departure, the operation
Thanks to the sisters’ providence — and the patient’s determination — a private clinic agreed to cover the costs, on the condition that I would perform the procedure. We scheduled the best time, and I left for Albania. I managed the preoperative preparation, coordinated the operating room staff, and ensured all equipment was functioning. The operation went smoothly, and the patient was discharged that same afternoon, after just a few hours of observation.
Follow-up and waiting
Follow-up care was handled remotely, with the nuns acting as intermediaries. I advised waiting before attempting a new pregnancy. After a few months, her menstrual cycle normalized, and symptoms improved from the very first cycle. Regular gynecological and ultrasound checkups every three months confirmed she could finally conceive.
A new life
The wait wasn’t long. There was fear that the pregnancy might end like the previous ones, but with the right care, attention — and the will of the Lord — she reached the seventh month. In the meantime, she had moved to Greece with her husband. She was hospitalized and gave birth to a baby girl — premature, but alive and full of life — who still brings joy to their home.
On September 2, 2023, Sister Camilla wrote to me: “Hi Beppe, Bona sent me this message, I’m so happy. Thank you for your professionalism.” And the young woman’s message said: “Good morning Mater Camilla! Yesterday I gave birth to a baby girl. I feel great. Thank you so much! Thanks to you, today I am a MOTHER!”
Coincidence… or love for one’s work?
Coincidences or just chance? Perhaps. But also a bit of determination and a great deal of love for one’s work — the most genuine and rewarding form of compensation for time devoted to others.
A mission that continues
The collaboration with the foster home goes on. Today, three of us regularly travel to Albania: my wife Giulia, an endocrinologist and internist; our friend Giuseppe, a pediatrician everyone calls Pino; and myself, a gynecologist.
Every time we go, it’s a celebration!
A simple and concrete way to place our profession at the service of those who need it most.