At the age of 25, most people consider they have their whole lives ahead of them. But for Marius, things aren’t what they should be. His heart is failing rapidly and he is in desperate need of a transplant that will at least give him hope, if not a better life.

Marius Fatan is a young man whose only desire is to have what we all take for granted – a normal life. Four years ago, he still thought he could have that. He went to the doctor’s, thinking he caught a cold, only to find out his heart is failing. “I went to the doctor with a very bad cough. He gave me a flue treatment, and I thought that was the end of it. I couldn’t be more wrong.” A few months later, felling worse every day, not even being able to breathe properly, he pays the doctor yet another visit, only to find out that he has water in his lungs. Dr Ioan Manitiu, a cardiologist with the Sibiu Clinical Hospital said “It’s coming from the heart. It’s not as strong as it should be, after contacting a virus. Basically, his heart’s muscles are so week that they can no longer pump the blood out of the heart, causing it to grow. He urgently needs a transplant.” Ever since, he has been waiting for a compatible donor, not being able to do nothing by himself. He doesn’t even leave the house. Basically, he is his own prisoner. An intervention abroad would be possible, but for the costs are way beyond his reach. The least expensive operation and treatment would take the cost up to 200.000 pounds, around 300.000 euro in the United kingdom, compared to a cost of around 500.000 $, that is 350.000 euro in the United States.

Marius’s family, with an income of about 500 euro a month has no way of raising such an amount.

In order to help rise a part of that money, his friends from Crispus are going to organize a fire show on an ice-ring. “No matter how you look at it, Marius has a big heart, and we can only hope there are people out-there who want to help” are the words of Rares Helici, manager of Crispus – The art of fire. The show will be held on the only ice-skating ring in Sibiu, on February the 9th 2008. “It will be spectacular, so that we have a chance to help Marius”, says Rares who thinks that the sparkle in his eyes shown when he speaks about this is the hope that Marius should hang on to and never let go.

500 invitations are passed on to people who can financially help Marius. But they are not the only ones who can do this. If you want to lend a hand, no matter the sum donated, you can do exactly that at the ING bank in Sibiu. Account numbers are:

LEI: RO72INGB0000999900694911
USD: RO72INGB0000999900694935
EURO: RO72INGB0000999900694926

SWIFT: INGBROBU

Give him one chance. Give him one heart-beat!