In November, more than 120,000 euros was donated to the Gift of Life
Cancer Treatment Foundation. The foundation council approved the funding of the
treatment of 14 people, nine of whom are receiving the foundation’s support for
the first time. All in all the foundation covered nearly 120,000 euros’ worth
of medical bills.
Nearly 50,000 euros was donated for treatment of Agu Uudelepp in a single
day.
Weekly newspaper Eesti Ekspress
published an article about Estonian political scientist and a member of the
council of Estonian Public Broadcasting Agu Uudelepp’s fight with the terrible
disease. We rallied Estonian people to donate for Mr Uudelepp’s treatment.
Within a single day more than 1300 people and companies had made a donation for
him, including quite a few celebrities. All in all the foundation had raised
nearly 50,000 euros for Mr Uudelepp’s treatment by then.
“The Estonian people proved once again that together we could move mountains.
Agu can go on with his treatment for a year using the money raised, without
having to worry about its price and his financial capabilities. Now he can
focus solely on his health and family,” said Toivo Tänavsuu, the head of
the Gift of Life.
We support a 33-year old woman and several other cancer patients
In November, the foundation began supporting a 33-year old Tallinn woman’s
cervical cancer treatment. Her Avastin treatment costs nearly 9000 euros in the
coming months.
In November, we also started supporting a 50-year old woman from Tallinn, who
is also suffering from cervical cancer and needs Avastin.
She writes:
“I was diagnosed with cancer in August 2016, when it had already entered
stage four. Despite checking my health often at the doctor’s, the cancer had
managed to hide itself around the corner, so to speak. I went through radiation
therapy, followed by the supporting chemotherapy. Those were tough times
physically.
My treating physician was optimistic that it was going to stop there. But in
October this year we found out the sad truth that the metastases had spread to
other organs and new tumours had appeared.
This news knocked our entire family off their feet, but my decision to not give
up just yet and to not die before my time and the support of my loving family
and their strong hugs gave me strength to go on with treatment. It turned out
that a medication named Avastin could also help me, but sadly the Health
Insurance Fund does not compensate this in the case of my diagnosis.
As a last resort, we decided to ask for the aid of the Gift of Life Cancer
Treatment Foundation. All of my family cheered when the foundation gave us a
positive reply. This means that I can see my son graduating basic school and
hopefully his upper secondary school graduation as well. I can congratulate my
daughter for receiving her bachelor’s degree and then her master’s degree. I
will hopefully see my grandchildren as well and grow old with my loving
husband.
In a word, I can spend as much time as possible with my family, relatives and
friends – people dear to me.
I truly appreciate all the supporters, because it is thanks to you that the
Gift of Life can support those in need.”
The foundation is helping a 46-year old woman from Pärnu fight lung cancer. Her
medication named Keytruda costs over 17,000 euros in the coming months.
A 76-year old woman is receiving treatment with lung cancer medication Xalkori
that the foundation supports with more than 14,000 euros.
A 54-year old and a 75-year old woman both suffer from bowel cancer – the
foundation lent them a helping hand. A 60-year old man is suffering from
thyroid cancer. The Gift of Life supports his treatment with several thousand
euros a month and he has been receiving the treatment with the foundation’s
support for several years.
A 77-year old man from Tallinn suffering from leukaemia will receive a
medication named Imbruvica thanks to the foundation’s support, which will cost
more than 18,000 euros in the coming months.
A 66-year old man from Tartu is suffering from thyroid cancer and the Gift of
Life buys him a medication named Nexavar, which costs more than 1000 euros a
month.
He writes:
“I would like to thank you and all the kind benefactors for supporting my
treatment this time. I have been facing this terrible disease for nearly a
decade now. After a major surgery I received iodine therapy several times that
seemed promising initially, but eventually failed to show the desired results.
Three years ago I had to undergo another surgery. After that the situation
became somewhat more stabilised, but the examination carried out last year
revealed that the disease had relapsed. The treating physician decided to try
out a new medication that was partially compensated by the Health Insurance
Fund. A two-month treatment showed that the medication worked really well.
After a break of one year I needed yet another treatment, but without the
foundation’s support it would have been really complicated.
In order to not be only at the receiving end and understanding that the
foundation may be the last hope for many cancer patients, my family and I have
also become regular benefactors for the foundation, thus making our own little
contribution for some people in need.”
A 58-year old man from Lääne-Viru County is suffering from melanoma and
needs a medication named Keytruda that costs more than 6000 euros a month. His
family has initiated a campaign in a small way in his social circle, asking
people to make a special donation to the foundation. His family believes that
starting from January 2018 the Health Insurance Fund will start to compensate
the said medication and should it happen, they want to use the funds raised
during the campaign for other patients’ treatments.
Anniversary of furniture manufacturer Tarmeko raised 5805 euros
Recently a well-known Estonian timber processor and furniture manufacturer
Tarmeko Group celebrated its 70th anniversary.
The jubilee asked its guests to make a donation to the cancer treatment
foundation as a gift. Guests arrived from far and near and together they raised
5805 euros for cancer patients.
The Estonian Conservative People’s Party decided to donate 5000 euros from
their so-called political protection money for cancer patients. Mart Luik, the
vice chairman of the Tallinn City Council, donates a third of his salary to
cancer patients.
More than 4000 euros from charity concerts
At the end of November Ott Lepland and La Phoenix string trio gave two charity
concerts in Tallinn and Rapla to support cancer patients. All in all the
audience of Tallinn and Rapla concerts raised 4050 euros for the foundation.
Ott and La Phoenix, or Johanna, Aike and Sandra, received wool socks made by Southern
Estonian craftsmen from the foundation as a gift, so they could keep their
instruments (voice and fingers) warm!
The Tallinn Boys Choir gave a concert in the Glass Hall of the Tallinn Song
Festival Grounds, where another 1000 euros was raised for the foundation.
Lots of media attention, lots of interviews
Media paid lots of attention to the foundation before Christmas. For instance,
Katrin Kuusemäe and Toivo Tänavsuu, the leaders of the foundation, participated
in radio programme Agenda, where the host inquired about the kindness of
Estonian people and foundation’s field of activity.
It may have been the first time we mentioned in public that the foundation had
raised a million euros in donations this year.
Janek Mäggi, the co-founder of the cancer treatment foundation and a member of
its council wrote in the Õhtuleht newspaper
that “the state may be good at fulfilling the task its people have given
it, but must not hinder those who want to do something good for society. The
latter is not exclusive to the state.”
Katrin Kuusemäe visited ETV+ Russian morning programme where she talked about
the opportunity for companies to make Christmas gifts with the help of the
foundation and support cancer patients.
ETV discussion programme “Suud Puhtaks” addressed the topic of charity. The
cancer treatment foundation’s delegation consisted of Katrin, Toivo, Kätlin,
Madis, Anna-Maria and Raul.
Tennis show raised 3000 euros
In November, the long-awaited tennis match between Kaia Kanepi and Anett
Kontaveit took place in the Saku Suurhall arena. The spectators of the match
raised more than 1000 euros for the cancer treatment foundation.
We also held charity auctions on Facebook, where we sold Kaia Kanepi’s racket
for 1000 euros and Anett Kontaveit’s racket and game uniform for 1000 euros as
well.
Reflectors on sale!
We would like to remind you that until the end of January you can buy the
cancer treatment foundation’s charity reflectors from Selver, Prisma, Rimi
Hypermarket and Stockmann stores and Circle K stations that serve as double
life-savers – they make you visible in the dark, thus saving your life, and
buying them gives extra days for cancer patients. A reflector costs €1.99.
You can now make a donation for cancer patients both in cash and by bankcard in
Circle K stations – in the latter case you need to ask the cashier to add the
donation to your receipt.