We are glad that our employees chose support for paediatric oncology patients through the Light of Hope Civic Association as part of an internal competition for the best project, this time in addition to sporting activities.
The Light of Hope has been here for 18 years. During this period, they have helped more than 650 seriously ill children and their families.
“Our original plan was to bring joy to children with cancer by fulfilling their wishes. We wanted to make it easier for them to cope with their difficult situation. Subsequently, we identified the needs of families with seriously ill children and began to address them,” recalls the co-founder and chairman of the Association, MUDr. Pavel Bician.
The Light of Hope has since developed into an organization with a broad portfolio of assistance. The Association provides comprehensive care for children and adolescents with cancer or other serious illnesses, and their families. The Association’s key projects include the services of a psychosocial team in Paediatric Oncology in Banská Bystrica (a social worker, a psychologist and a medical pedagogue), a Mobile Children‘s Hospice service – the only one in Central Slovakia, free transport service and free accommodation for persons accompanying paediatric oncology patients, a canistherapy pilot project with specially trained dogs etc.
Notwithstanding the slowdown in many of our activities during the first wave of COVID-19, the first half of 2020 looked like this in numbers:
- We provided our services to 35 new paediatric oncology patients and their families,
- As part of the transport service, we drove 40,066 km and performed 182 journeys, the service was used by 36 families,
- We provided free accommodation for family members during long-term therapy visits – this service was used by 33 families, 48 people and we reached a total of 286 overnight stays,
- In our Mobile Children‘s Hospice we took care of 10 children, one of them with an oncological diagnosis and nine children with another life-limiting diagnosis. Physicians and nurses made 55 visits, driving 9,966 km
- We paid co-payments for medicines in the amount of EUR 16,786.38, including co-payments for hospice patients,
- Our psychosocial team provided a total of 1,225 interventions and a total of 1,837 hours for 94 families,
- In cooperation with the Physio Canis association, we provided canistherapy once a week directly in the hospital, which from January to March 2020 was attended by 27 children during 27 therapies, lasting 54 hours in total.
Caring for one paediatric patient in our Mobile Children‘s Hospice costs approximately EUR 25/day, i.e. EUR 750/month. Funds from the support of gd-Team will also be used for this purpose.
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