BEGINNING
It was founded in February 2002. on the initiative of dr. Marija Radonić the head of
Paediatric
department of General Hospital Dubrovnik
, because of the participation of parents needed in the process of their child’s illness and with a goal to organize and educate parents and their children about chronic diseases.
In the beginning there were sections ASTHMA , DIABETES and COELIAC DISEASE which covered the whole county. In the year of 2004. parents from Neretva region were separated and founded their own association. By the end of 2004. section for diabetes outgrew into an association of it’s own called “Slatki život” (sweet life). In the meantime new sections were founded – RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS and OTHER ILLNESSES.
WORK
In
December 2005. we have entered the new offices conceded by G.H. Dubrovnik
and equipped with City and County means. Till that time our meetings
has been organized in the hospital meetingroom and we are still enjoing
a great support from hospital crew.
We have organized several charity concerts with a prime goal
to introduce wide publicity with needs of our members. Such
activities will continue in the future. We mark all important
dates relevant for the work of our Association (World Asthma
Day, Coeliac disease Awareness Week etc.) We donated inhalers
to three out-patient departments and to Paediatric department
of G.H. Dubrovnik where we also donated an appliance for measuring
the level of sugar in blood. Bread-ovens
has been donated to children with celiac disease. We are negotiating
for compensation of travel costs for children who needs to
go often to Zagreb for treatment.
We collect means for maintaining the apartment, for stay
in Zagreb. We
plan to establish a Fund for necessary treatment of children
in medical institutions outside Croatia.
We have obtained an conformation from Ministry of health and social care for humanitarian acting, collecting and distribution of humanitarian help.
SECTIONS
ASTHMA
The largest number of sick children but with least response from their parents. Most of them went through Asthma school – lecture and education led by dr.M.Radonic.
Through the years we marked
World Asthma Day
( first Tuesday in May) with various events and all sponsored by representation
of a pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline.
The goal is to keep on engaging as many parents as possible in the
section activities.
COELIAC
The number of members varies around 20 and they are very well organized. Every year in the “Coeliac disease Awareness Week” they organize cooking courses, seminars and lectures in order to introduce public with the disease. With the great support of Croatian Society for Coeliac Disease
which is also a member of AOECS (Association of European Coeliac Societies) every member has access to a wide list of informations,
gluten-free manufacturers and analized gluten-free products.
RHEUMATOID
ARTHRITIS
Counts 12 members. Mostly fights with administrative problems
that parents face while they take their children to regular
treatments to Zagreb (capital city), as the insurance refuses
to compensate their travel costs. In the force of law the insurance
will compensate travel cost only if they travel to the nearest
clinic which is in Split. But in Split, the children can not
be treated with a proper care, as there is no specialist for
paediatric rheumatology. With the support of City Sports Buildings,
the members are allowed to use the small pool 3 times a week
for practice/physical therapy started from 2006. April 10.
The
needs for accommodation in other cities while children are on
treatment or long-lasting examinations is a real night-mare.
We became aware how large is the number of children going for
treatments and controls out of Dubrovnik, above all in Zagreb.
Our President of honour mr.sc. Marija Radonic doc.paediatrician,
who is also head of Paediatric department of G.H. Dubrovnik, with support
of General Hospital and Association Croatian Woman, made contact with manager
of housing-construction corporation Stanograd mr.
Zvonimir Škegro, and
our Association got an apartment for usage without any compensation. From
December 2006. and on we continuously collect financial means to buy-off
the apartment.
As a first step to it, there was
Christmass charitable concert
organized in
Revelin on December 17. 2005. We owe every visitor and donator,
and special thanks to our Dalmatian companies.
Our promotion and imploration to all goodwill people to join our continuos action from december 2005. , was repayed and we can acclamate with very succesful end of action and do credit to donators and medias.
On October the30 2007. was bought four-room apartment size of 76.11 m 2 in the region of Špansko, Zagreb. There will be possible to settle down four families at the same time.
We give credits to the most kindness man mr. Zvonimir Škegro and housing-construction corporation Stanograd, for the big act of kindness in the past three years giving us an apartment to use.
A very special thanks goes to all donators and sponzors, whoes resources we have used for buying and equiping the new apartment in possession of association and in welfare of the families treating their children in Zagreb.
RECOGNITIONS
All is accomplished with only one wish and goal; to put our little patients on the first place and to make days of treatment and time spent away from their parents and normal life, as much facilitated as possible.
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