A story about hope, mentorship, and new role models
I was at a medical check-up in 2018 when Dr. Z asked me what I do for a living that “I’m always so elegant.” It was during a period when I took my “entrepreneurial image” very seriously—so much so that I could have slept in a suit.
Anyway, after we chatted briefly about my work, he introduced me to Andreea, the General Manager at Zetta Clinic (now Zetta Hospital), to see if we could collaborate.
Beyond the business side, they were preparing to launch the Zetta Association new website at that time. It was extraordinary for me and my team to be able to contribute back then by offering some pro bono services they needed, and later on through various donations.
I’ll try to keep this as concise as possible because I could honestly write a lot. Since 2018 these people have managed to perform over 800 pro bono surgical interventions—some of them groundbreaking, others involving cases no one else would take on or believe in. Hundreds of individuals, including many children, have been given a new chance at life.
Who Is the Zetta Association?
The Zetta Association was born out of a desire to provide reconstructive and aesthetic surgeries free of charge for patients who desperately need help but lack the necessary resources. In collaboration with Zetta Hospital, the doctors and volunteers in the Association tackle extremely complex or rare cases. Over the course of their 7 years of activity, the team has shown that hope can be rekindled even when everything seems lost.
If you’d like to learn more or get involved, visit their website at asociatiazetta.ro, where you’ll find details about their projects, campaigns, and how you can support their efforts.
It’s hard for me to put into words the full scope of the Association’s activities. I’m deeply grateful not only for the chance to meet these incredible people, but also because this year, through Wiseleader, I managed to contribute—if only in a very small way—to what the Zetta Association is achieving.
But I want to highlight three key points:
1. Doing Good (doesn’t) have to be done silently
Last night, I heard the stories of people who do an enormous amount of good.
What they all had in common was, “I don’t like talking about it.” I know we’ve been raised to believe that good deeds should be done quietly. But as I mentioned recently, I believe it’s time to change that.
I think it’s time to show and promote different life models.
In a world like ours, I think it’s time to prove that there are people who thrive on doing good, not just making money. People who feel truly energized by the fact that they managed to help their fellow human beings.
2. There are extraordinary doctors in Romania, too
Although we often speak negatively about the Romanian medical system, we forget that there are remarkable people and doctors here. Doctors who practice medicine at the highest level, who put their patients’ well-being first, and who transform their patients’ lives forever.
Some of them even operate at night to make room for pro bono surgeries—helping where, all too often, hope has run out. So, in a world that feels upside down, there are still people out there who do good.
3. A mentor who doesn’t need you to say “Thank You”
Speaking of Dr. Dragoș Zamfirescu, he’s one of the few mentors I have. As I like to say, a man of true measure and someone with a level of humility I’ve never seen before. The kind of person who doesn’t want you to thank him—who is recharged by the good he does for his patients.
I rarely talk about my mentors.
Perhaps because they don’t fit the “successful entrepreneur” mold or have millions of followers. Nor do they offer quick-fix formulas for making a fortune.
But they’re people who genuinely love other people. They don’t turn away when they can help. And above all, they never forget that they, too, are just human beings.
I bow to them.
And I believe such people shouldn’t just be quietly respected but should be showcased to the world—not as exceptions, but as examples.
If you also know people who do good, take a moment to speak about them once in a while.
Share their stories. Give them visibility.
Maybe, step by step, we’ll start to change the kind of heroes we look up to.
And by doing so, we’ll succeed in creating new role models—ones that inspire, that bring more meaning and more humanity, and that help us chase less after mere appearances.
D.
