Donate Charity to Children of Clinical
The Children’s Hospital Foundation launches a new charity fundraising campaign and encourages donating towards the renovation of the Children’s Clinical University Hospital Haematology/Oncology Unit facilities. The purpose of fundraising is to renovate the ground floor of the historical hospital building and adapt it to the needs of Haematology/Oncology patients.
Thanks to the donations that back in 1899 were given towards building a children’s hospital, on 2nd October the Children’s Clinical University Hospital is able to celebrate its 113th birthday. Today the support of the community to the Children’s Hospital is of no minor importance. Therefore, the Children’s Hospital Foundation encourages donating towards the renovation of the Haematology/Oncology Unit facilities.
The aim of the charity fundraising campaign is to renovate the ground floor of the historical building to meet the needs of Haematology/Oncology patients, so that they would no longer have to, rain or shine, travel from one building where the hospital wards are situated to another housing the treatment facilities. In view that treatment is lengthy and difficult, hospital wards will be designed in a way that the patient may have a parent staying with him or her. Following the renovation, new special ventilation system will be installed, adapted specifically for the patients of this unit. The cost of the entire project is about 700 000 Latvian lats. A number of events will be organised as part of the charity fundraising campaign, to be communicated by our media partners on a regular basis. Each month newspaper Diena will publish information on the donations collected!
First Lady Dace Seisuma,patroness of the charity fundraising campaign, expresses her immense gratitude to the initiators and organisers of the initiative. „Children with severe haematology-oncology conditions are compelled to stay in the hospital for a long time, and, apart from professional medical care, they also require an environment that has been adapted to their needs. I believe that the planned renovation of the Haematology/Oncology Unit will contribute to the young patients’ feeling more comfortable and at home, at the same time taking care of their parents’ peace of mind.”
„Very much has been accomplished in the Children’s Hospital thanks to the support from the community. Currently the patients of Haematology/Oncology Unit need help – these children are struggling hard for their health from day to day. Unfortunately, more often than not these patients have to stay at the hospital for a long time, thus the hospital becomes a second home for these children and their parents. By renovating the facilities, we, as a community, are able to help the children and their parents make this treatment easier: it is hard, both from the physical as well as emotional aspect. Many, many thanks to all companies and media who have already responded and are ready to help, and I would also like to encourage everyone to participate in the charity fundraising campaign!” invites Liene Dambiņa, Head of the Children’s Hospital Foundation
Anda Čakša, Director of the Children’s Clinical University Hospital:„Renovation projects are in progress in the Children’s Hospital already for several years, while Haematology/Oncology Unit is still waiting for its turn. The hospital’s budget can afford a relatively small amount for repairing the facilities, mainly for decoration, thus large-scale renovation or construction projects, which Unit No.20 needs, are not affordable within the budget. We have to handle the funds allocated to us with due sense of responsibility and balance our revenues with expenditures, so that we are able to perform the core functions of the hospital, i.e., provide patients with planned and emergency medical care and outpatient care. At the same time, we have to continue with the Europe-funded projects co-financed with state-guaranteed loan, which takes up rather large payments from the hospital budget every month. This situation is also stressful due to the fact that the infrastructure and facilities maintenance costs are not included in the medical services fees; consequently, the hospital’s possibilities to finance large-scale construction are limited.”
AS Diena has been a Children’s Hospital Foundation friend for many years, and together we have done very much to the benefit of the patients. Diena andDienas Žurnāli will also help with this campaign by making its readers aware of the situation in the hospital unit and the condition of the patients, and will encourage the people to be responsive and support the renovation of the facilities. Normunds Staņēvičs, Chairman of the Management Board of AS Diena: “The society in Latvia speaks very frequently of children being our future, and the project “Saulainas dienas” (Sunny Days) implemented by Diena in particular is a proof that these words are true. Diena runs this project already for the 14th year in succession, and it has resulted in many valuable and very much needed projects accomplished for the Children’s Hospital. During these 14 years, many of the small patients are already grown-ups, but our project goes on – because it seems that there are too few sunny days for our people and in our country in general. This is why we are ready to come to assistance and encourage others to join us. On behalf of AS Diena I want to express my deep satisfaction that the numbers of “Saulainas dienas” sponsors is continuously growing, and this year we have more new helpers ready to extend their hand to those who need help most, to our children.”
This is the first time when the Latvian National Television (LTV) has joined the Children’s Hospital Foundation charity fundraising campaign. Edgars Kots, Management Board Members of LTV, says: „The Children’s Hospital Foundation charity fundraising campaign fits within the scope of socially significant activities consistently supported by LTV, and is their harmonic continuation. LTV attitude to the mission of enhancing the quality of social life, in the capacity of a socially responsible media, is evidenced e.g. by the social campaign „Latvijas dzīvība” (Latvia’s life), in cooperation with the foundation „ziedot.lv” in the charity fundraising campaign „Laimīgai Latvijai!” (For a happy Latvia!), charity fundraising campaign „Nepaej garām” (Don’t pass by), social activities in partnership with the project „Nāc līdzās” (Come together with us) and other projects. The renovation of the Children’s Hospital Haematology/Oncology Unit in fact is taking care of children who need the assistance from community in creating for them an environment that would help to win the struggle with their illness and save life –which is also the life of our Latvia. Therefore, the goal of the campaign should be reached by all means.”
The customers ofRimi and Supernetto have already joined the campaign – starting with early September, they can donate towards the renovation of the Unit No.20. The charity donation boxes will be available in the supermarkets till the beginning of November, and also in spring next year. Radio Skonto, Airport Riga, JCDeceaux, Ziedot.lv, advertising agencyTBWA and Riga City Council are among other supporters of the project.
Fund raising will also be done via donation phone line 90006681, each call donating 1 Latvian lat. Donations may be also transferred to the Children’s Hospital Fund accounts with SEB and Swedbank:
AS SEB bank: UNLALV2X, account No. LV84UNLA0050012160326
A/S Swedbank: HABA LV22, account No. LV02HABA0551000377020
In Latvia, yearly on average 40-50 children are diagnosed with haematology/oncology condition. As a rule, this illness requires recurrent treatment, so it amounts to 900 treatment episodes each year. The little patients have to spend at least 1-2 months in the hospital, yet more often than not they need to stay a half year and longer.
The oncology unit was opened in the Children’s Hospital in 1989 and a complex treatment of cancer was started. Unit No.20 at the Children’s Hospital is the sole one in Latvia for this kind of illnesses. Currently the Haematology/Oncology patients are treated in the facilities that have been renovated in 1999, and the building is not connected with others where patients’ tests and examinations are done.
