Saimi Aina passed away at the age of five on 23 April 2025 at the New Children’s Hospital in Helsinki. Her mother and father were by her side, holding her hands, hugging her, talking about her favourite things, and singing her favourite songs. Her baby sister, not yet one year old, was sleeping in the next room.
Saimi was born completely unexpectedly, about three months premature, on 30 January 2020 while her parents were visiting Barcelona. When she was born at Sant Pau Hospital, she weighed 860 grams but was in relatively good condition. Her early days in the neonatal intensive care unit went well, given the situation, and the plan was to stay in Barcelona until early summer so that she could grow stronger before travelling home. However, as the COVID-19 pandemic worsened, plans had to change, and Saimi was flown to Finland on a medical flight in late March.
In Finland, Saimi’s abdominal problems, which had already begun earlier, suddenly worsened. The cause was found to be a twisted intestine (intestinal volvulus), which required immediate surgery, and in the end, most of her intestines had to be removed. As a result of three major surgeries, Saimi’s kidneys were also severely and permanently damaged. While recovering from the operations, she also suffered from a serious medical error caused by negligence, which led to – or at least strongly contributed to – extensive brain damage. As a result of the brain damage, Saimi developed severe developmental disabilities, epilepsy, and difficulties using her vision.
At the beginning of 2021, Saimi was finally able to come home from the hospital and be cared for by her parents full-time. In the autumn of the following year, she started at a daycare for children with special needs, and from the very beginning she enjoyed being there. In spring 2023, Saimi found a hobby she truly loved when she joined a swimming group organised by Jaatisen Maja, an association for families with disabled children. She really enjoyed being in the water, and swimming became an important part of life for the whole family.
Saimi’s other favourite activities were swinging in a net swing, riding in a bike trailer pulled by her parents, and going out in a pram in the forest. She especially enjoyed going fast on the swing and bumpy rides in the trailer, which often made her laugh with joy. Saimi also loved music and all kinds of sounds, such as birdsong, the hum of a vacuum cleaner and the sound of tearing paper. Those always brought a wide smile to her face.
Besides her parents, her grandparents and many warm and caring caregivers, both at home and at daycare, were an important part of Saimi’s life. Saimi enjoyed being with people, listening to their voices, feeling their touch, and especially being held in their arms.
Throughout her life, Saimi repeatedly had to spend periods in hospital. In March 2025, she was taken to the New Children’s Hospital because of RSV. After several weeks in hospital, the virus, her underlying conditions, and various incidents were too much for her, and Saimi passed away with her mother and father by her side.
Despite everything she went through, Saimi had a remarkable ability to bring joy to those around her and warm their hearts with her big smile and her cheerful – yet strong-willed – personality. Anyone who had a chance to see her smile, spreading across her cheeks and up to her eyes, is unlikely to ever forget it.