What we have achieved
All we have achieved during years is fund by donations and realized with hard volunteer everyday work.
Centre Golden Ribbon
Trough knowledge we build symbolic bridge between hospital room and the world outside where the child will return after treatment. Thanks to Proznanie Co. we use Virtual classroom platform VEDAMO, which allow us to teach students not only in hospital room but at home, no matter where they live in the country. A teacher enter the hospital ward every day to work with patients who are at school age by their beds. In this way they receive support to feel more confident when they are going back to their home schools one day.
Traditional for our work are summer camps. Since 2015, thanks to the Social Protection Fund, the International Women's Club, Grand Hotel Bansko and many donors, we have been able to bring together children and young people with cancer from all over the country. They are held in the summer months, divided into two age groups - kids and teenagers. Siblings are also part of them. There is a lot of laughter and entertainment, accompanied by individual and group psychological therapies, creative art workshops, children and teenager create their own survivors society and together they accumulate their potential and resources to move forward.
From the very beginning our team has been working on a project to build the first rehabilitation center for children with cancer in Bulgaria and the eighth in the world. The social video "Drop by Drop" was created to support this initiative. After we bought the land thank to many donors, on 1st of June 2014 we have opened a multifunctional playground, play yard with swings and slides, as well as small vegetable gardens. The site and gardens have been open for visitors all the year, with many events taking place - sports holidays with children and their families, birthdays and more. In 2016, we bought additional land that we planted with fruit trees and started the construction of an auxiliary farm to the center.
We provide information and rise the awareness about childhood cancer
Since 2011 till now, every year we celebrate 15th February - International Childhood Cancer Day. Various of events aim to rise the awareness of the society about the problems children with cancer and their families face. On this day we appeal responsible institutions and persons to work together on this problem so that to ensure the best possible treatment, social support, and successful reintegration for little heroes. On this date parent and survivors organizations all over the globe raise their voice to support the fighters, to admire the survivors, and honour the taken. The day is celebrated on six continents and unite children and adolescents, parents, politicians, and public men under common cause.
In 2014, we gather together famous Bulgarian singers and single "When you are with me“ is born. It is dedicate to children with cancer and adults how support them during their fight for life. The lyrics are written by Geri Turiiska, the compositor is Svetlin Krastev. Песента е по текст на Гери Турийска, а автор на музиката е Светлин Къслев. Singers are Dicho, Poli Genova, Viki Terziiska, vesy Boneva, Vasko Chergov, and Inela Chergova. The clip has over 67 000 views in YouTube.
We fight for the right of every child to receive the best quality treatment
Recently, a major problem for children with cancer was the lack of drugs from the main treatment protocols that were not included in the positive list and were not payed by government. Some of them were not even distribute in Bulgaria. Parents were forced to search and buy them for their own. In the period 2013-2016, thanks to donations received, the association provided financial resources to the hospitals in Sofia, Plovdiv and Varna for the purchase of the missing medicines. At the same time, thanks to the hard work of the team, we have achieved the result and the medicines are now being paid by Central Fund for treatment for Children. However, this situation is not satisfactory so our work on the case continues.
One of our greatest achievements is to persuade the Ministry of Health to provide anesthesia for the myelography – a very painful procedure. The Ministry of Health allocated funds for equipping a surgery and from the beginning of 2013 year our children no longer feel pain at the performance of this manipulation.
Centre Golden Ribbon
On 15th of February 2013, the first and only in Bulgaria Daily Centre for children with cancer has opened its doors. It is a couple of rooms situated in the University Hospital "Tsaritsa Yoana - ISUL", nearby hospital ward of Pediatric cancer clinic. It is opened every weekday from 09:00 to 17:00, for children on active treatment, maintenance therapy and survivors. Sofia Municipality gave us he rooms and thanks to many donors our efforts, they turned into a bright and colorful place for children where they can find shelter from severe manipulations.
Far from the hospital setting, kid's playroom is a quiet place for games and fun. A small library, a game room wit computers, play station and many board games are provided for teenagers. In the art room there is a creative spirit and the small hands sculpt marvelous souvenirs, jewelery and paintings. Psychologists work on specially designed programs to meet the needs of children and young people, provide appropriate support in the difficult stages of active treatment, maintenance therapy, manage the psychological traumas that cancer and treatment bring to the child and his / her family in the process of recovery. Their work helps to overcome crisis moments, traumatic experiences such as children and parents, activation of resources, and the ability to move forward.
Besides a children's playground, the Daily center is also a room for parents who receive psychological support, art activities and shared moments with brothers and sisters of destiny.
Our team has successfully implemented mobile activities in the clinic. Every Tuesday and Wednesday we have art therapy, we do social counseling with parents. We meet the new patients and their parents by giving them a friendly hand. We answer all the questions that worry them about the daily challenges of families, the difficulties and the pain, despair and hope ... They have repeatedly told us that one of the most valuable support is the casual conversation with a brother of destiny and to hear words - "My child was also here, and now he or she is healthy - studying, dancing, dreaming ... There is a long way in front of you, but everything will pass, you will learn to live with the disease and after some time you will be healthy and happy again".
Hospital school
Trough knowledge we build symbolic bridge between hospital room and the world outside where the child will return after treatment. Thanks to Proznanie Co. we use Virtual classroom platform VEDAMO, which allow us to teach students not only in hospital room but at home, no matter where they live in the country. A teacher enter the hospital ward every day to work with patients who are at school age by their beds. In this way they receive support to feel more confident when they are going back to their home schools one day.
Summer camps
Traditional for our work are summer camps. Since 2015, thanks to the Social Protection Fund, the International Women's Club, Grand Hotel Bansko and many donors, we have been able to bring together children and young people with cancer from all over the country. They are held in the summer months, divided into two age groups - kids and teenagers. Siblings are also part of them. There is a lot of laughter and entertainment, accompanied by individual and group psychological therapies, creative art workshops, children and teenager create their own survivors society and together they accumulate their potential and resources to move forward.
Support for survivors
Since 2013, our little heroes heroes have been participate with more than 500 children from 19 countries in the International Winners' Games in Moscow. These are sporting events organized by the Russian charity fund "Gift of Life", they are held every year and include children who have overcome the disease from 7 to 16 years old. The children return with a lot of medals for Bulgaria, and the Bulgarian flag raises every night at the awards ceremony. The games have an extraordinary therapeutic effect, and not once excited, our parents tell us that their child is returning dramatically, with increased self-esteem and a lot of faith and desire for new victories. The motto of the games is "After the story of the disease, the story of the victories begins". This celebration of life would not have been possible for us without the financial support of the Bulgarian Sports Foundation and the National carrier, which helped the children to travel from the very beginning.
On 1st of September 2014 until the end of August 2017, we worked on a Erasmus + project "Create Your Future" in partnership with organizations and companies from Bulgaria, Austria, Greece and Spain, and the University of Santiago de Compostela a special career proggram for childhood cancer survivors have been designed. The aim was to train career counselors to work with the survivors. At the beginning of September 2016, a consultant training and a meeting of consultants from all the countries involved in the project took place in Vienna. The association also includes a representative, providing additional opportunities to help young people who have fought the disease at the threshold of their choice of profession and their realization in the labor market.
One of our great achivment
From the very beginning our team has been working on a project to build the first rehabilitation center for children with cancer in Bulgaria and the eighth in the world. The social video "Drop by Drop" was created to support this initiative. After we bought the land thank to many donors, on 1st of June 2014 we have opened a multifunctional playground, play yard with swings and slides, as well as small vegetable gardens. The site and gardens have been open for visitors all the year, with many events taking place - sports holidays with children and their families, birthdays and more. In 2016, we bought additional land that we planted with fruit trees and started the construction of an auxiliary farm to the center.
In October 2017, Association "Chidren with Onco-hematologic Diseases" turned 7 years. We are very thankful to all who support us during the years, who believe in us, and walk with us on our way. We hope to continue to be together and to attract more followers.