What Happens When You Don’t Judge People by Their Disability - But by Their Heart, Skill, and Commitment

Some people arrive in this world with challenges most of us will never understand. And yet, they also arrive with a purpose, a gift, and a strength that becomes visible the moment they are given a chance.

Natanael Neagu is one of those people.

Born at seven months, weighing just 900 grams, doctors predicted he wouldn’t survive. He spent 17 years in and out of hospitals. Seven spinal surgeries. A wheelchair until the age of twelve.
But what stayed intact was his desire to help others.

He studied Kinesiotherapy because he wanted to help people recover the way he had. He volunteered in hospitals. And when he was told he wouldn’t be hired because of his physical disability, he didn’t let that define him. He left his home country, came to the UK, worked in a children’s home for three years, and eventually found Sylvian Care.

The Power of Inclusive Hiring

When Florin Racilă, the owner of Sylvian Care Southampton, first met Natanael, he noticed his disability before anything else. It’s a natural human reaction - we often see the difference before the person. But very quickly, Florin saw beyond that. He saw who Natanael was. He saw heart. He saw commitment. And he saw someone who had already overcome more than most people face in a lifetime.

Nathanael started as a carer, supporting elderly people in their own homes. With dedication, learning, compassion, and consistency, he progressed to Care Coordinator- a role that requires high emotional intelligence, organisational skill, and deep trust.

And Florin trusted him.

Last year, when the business went through a difficult period, it wasn’t just strategy that kept things afloat. It was Natanael.

Florin shared that Natanael’s resilience inspired him to keep going, to look at what could be done instead of what was going wrong.

And in return, Natanael carries that same sense of responsibility.
He once said that when Florin goes on holiday, he doesn’t want to merely “keep things afloat” until his boss returns.
He wants the service to run to a high standard - so Florin never has to come back to chaos or “pick up the pieces.”
This is the mindset of someone who cares deeply, not just about the work, but about the people he works with.

When a leader is lifted by an employee, you know that person is extraordinary.

A Life Guided by Purpose

Today, Natanael splits his life between his job at Sylvian Care Southampton and his studies at the University of Greenwich, where he is in his second year of a Health and Social Care degree.
He is also taking driving lessons, working toward his dream of owning an adapted car - something that would finally give him independence after a lifetime of relying on public transport, taking two hours each way to work and even longer to university.

He comes from a family of seven siblings, all doctors.
A family shaped by his journey, by witnessing his surgeries, recoveries, and strength.

His life is a reminder that potential is not defined by age, gender, or physical limitations.
The only limits that truly exist are the ones we believe about ourselves.

Natanael’s story matters because it shows what is possible when employers look beyond labels and assumptions.

Inclusive hiring is not a matter of charity.
It’s recognising excellence where others fail to look.

It’s understanding that people who have walked through fire often become the ones who bring the most warmth, compassion, and depth into their work.

At Sylvian Care, we believe every person arrives with their own gifts - and when those gifts are welcomed, supported, and trusted, incredible things happen.

Natanael is living proof of that.