In January, more than 204,000
euros was donated to the Gift of Life Cancer Treatment Foundation. The
foundation council approved the funding of the treatment of 22 people, ten of
whom are receiving the foundation’s support for the first time.
We also supported many other
people whose decision to treat was made in November-December. All in all the
foundation covered nearly 366,000 euros’ worth of medical bills.
Support
for several mothers
We continue supporting Kristi
Natus, a 39-year old mother from Paide, in her fight with a brain tumour.
The treatment has been good for
her – Kristi is lively and busy, bringing joy to her entire family.
The Loomisel folk dance group
celebrated its fifth anniversary at the Paide Culture Centre with a charity
dance show, where the audience had a chance to make a donation for Kristi, who
has also danced in this ensemble. All in all a valuable 3405 euros was raised.
See Kristi’s story here
Read the Järva Teataja article here
In January, we lent a helping hand
to Maily Luberg, a young woman fighting acute lymphocytic leukaemia. Her
four-week treatment with a medication named Blincyto costs 57,000 euros.
This is her last chance and she is
the first Estonian to use that medication.
Read Maily’s story here
As from November we are supporting
Anu Nahkur, a pianist, experienced piano teacher, mother and grandmother, in
her fight with a terrible disease. Her son writes:
“Mom
is doing as well as she can considering her situation and her health is stable,
but the treatment is still ongoing. We believe it’s owing much to the
super-expensive biological medication Keytruda doctors prescribed her in
addition to chemotherapy. Our family was able to finance the first four
treatments. The results of these four treatments showed that the illness had
receded, which was definitely thanks to the new medication. The doctors
confirmed that in order to truly stabilise the situation, treatment must
continue.
This
turned out to be financially difficult. At this point we were given another
chance by the Gift of Life foundation. It’s hard to express our gratitude for
the help given using mere words.
We
hope mom’s health will completely stabilise and she’ll be able to feel like a
human being again. Our entire family has been there for mom each and every
moment and it means the world to us that the Gift of Life is here with us,
giving hope for what is to come.
You
have our most sincere gratitude! Our New Year’s wish: may the foundation have
strength to give many more people longer lives.”
A
gift of hope, a gift of life
We also continue supporting
61-year old Jaanus’ fight with pharyngeal cancer. He writes:
“In
March 2014 I was diagnosed with pharyngeal cancer, which had already entered
stage four. I received chemotherapy and radiation therapy in small intervals
until August 2017. The side effects became too severe and a decision was made
to cease treatment funded by the Health Insurance Fund.
But
not all hope was lost. The Gift of Life Cancer Treatment Foundation lent me a
helping hand and started funding my Keytruda treatment. I have now completed
the first course of treatment and analyses showed that the medication is
working and there were practically no side effects.
Thank
you, cancer treatment foundation, for finding means to fund my next treatment
that is soon to come. What I also consider important is my own optimism and
certainly my family’s support. Many thanks to the benefactors!”
We support a 41-year old mother
suffering from an extremely rare sinus cancer. She says:
“I’ve
been through three kinds of chemotherapy and none have had the needed effect,
neither have they alleviated the symptoms. The most unpleasant and inconvenient
symptom is neuralgia of the right side of the face. I also have greatly swollen
lymph nodes in the right side of my neck. The treating physician suggested a
genetic study of tissue samples in the US to find out the best medication. The
study suggested two medications that could improve and maintain my condition. One
month’s worth of the needed medication costs more than 3000 euros and is not
covered by the Health Insurance Fund. Our family could not afford such sums. I’m
really grateful to the Gift of Life Cancer Treatment Foundation for their positive
answer. All the supporters have my greatest and most sincere gratitude.”
We are also supporting 80-year old
grandpa Arvo’s fight with gastric cancer. His daughter writes:
“Dad
had to undergo oesophageal surgery in July 2016 and during the surgery they
found advanced cancer. Thus, they had to remove his stomach. It took him quite
a while to recover from this difficult surgery. Roughly six months after the
surgery you could see he had become the same person he was before surgery:
level-headed but active. The treatment described by the doctor was effective –
he regained his strength and will. Summer 2017 was truly positive. The analyses
showed everything was going great. But it all changed in autumn. Dad complained
that his stomach was aching at times, he stopped gaining weight and started
losing it instead and his analysis results dropped. About a month ago his
treating physician told us that they had tried all the medications supported by
the Health Insurance Fund and there would be no point in continuing treatment
using these. Our world fell apart … everything had seemed to go well. So
what’s next? Do they just send me home to die? Dad asked. He is an active old
gentleman – willing and entrepreneurial. How come there was no treatment? If
you take someone’s hope and tell them there’s nothing left to do, then no
matter how optimistic you are, your spirit will falter. The treating physician
suggested a medication that was not supported by the Health Insurance fund, but
may help Dad. We couldn’t have afforded the medication. Thus we made an
application to the Gift of Life foundation. Our two nerve-wracking weeks ended
in positive news: the foundation agreed to fund Dad’s medication. We are truly
happy and grateful. For us it means that Dad has some extra time to recover. A
chance to battle cancer and defeat it.”
At the end of the year we started
funding prostate cancer treatment of 67-year old Jaan. His wife says:
“Big
thanks to the Gift of Life and all the donors. Jaan has been suffering from
prostate cancer for ten years. He has undergone chemotherapy and radiation
therapy several times. In summer he developed acute cystitis. He spent three
weeks in a hospital. There he developed partial gluteal and thigh muscles
paralysis as a result of which he now has to use a rollator to move around. He
also has strong pain in his ilium, as metastases have spread there. New
treatment supported by the cancer treatment foundation started on 18 January. It
may sound unbelievable, but Jaan immediately felt better. It has been only a
few days, but he can stand 10-20 seconds at a time several times a day and even
take four or five steps. It’s a huge improvement! He exercises every day using
a resistance band, but we have also ordered a stationary bicycle. He
experiences considerably less pain in his ilium. Hopefully he can soon lower
the dose of his super-strong analgesics. We are all grateful and happy. Thank
you so much Dr Helis Pokker and Dr Malle Paris. We have also donated to the
cancer treatment foundation and will continue to do so. We wish you good luck,
health and, of course, lots of money!”
100
appreciation plaques for companies
In January, we sent nearly hundred
appreciation plaques to companies that supported cancer patients with at least
1000 euros in 2017. The plaque says that thanks to the donation people can
spend more valuable time with their loved ones. For them, every new day is a
day worth celebrating.
In January, we raised donations
all over Estonia during Vanemuine Theatre’s concert tour Memory 2018, basketball
game in Tartu and Estonian Music Awards event at the Saku Suurhall Arena.
Help service employees of Eesti
Energia energy company donated 435 euros to cancer patients.
Interviews
and articles
Toivo Tänavsuu talked about the
cancer treatment foundation’s work on the Täna+
programme in Tallinna TV on 4 January.
Katrin Kuusemäe, the CEO of the
cancer treatment foundation, gave an interview to Raadio4.
Listen to the interview here
Delfi Naistekas news portal
published an article about the long-standing member of the foundation’s
council, Dr Kadri Putnik.
Read the interview here
90,000
euros operating grant from the state
The state gave the cancer
treatment foundation 90,000 euros from the so-called political protection
money. This is the first time the cancer treatment foundation has received a
state budget operating grant.
Find out more here
Rain Laane, the head of the Health
Insurance Fund, gave an interview to Postimees
newspaper, where he also addressed the cancer treatment foundation and cancer
patients.
Read the interview here
New
donation possibilities
You can now visit our website www.kingitudelu.ee/annetajale
and have your donation added to your phone bill. It’s really simple: just enter
the amount of your donation and your mobile number.
Customers of Elisa and Tele2 can
make donations of up to five euros with the click of a mouse. Larger donations,
regular donations and/or donations made via the Telia mobile network need to be
confirmed with an SMS.
The service works in all networks.
The amount of the donation is added to your phone bill next month. The service
fee is 5%.
The technical solution for
microdonations was made by Zlick, an Estonian start-up, who made it work in
cooperation with Sviiter creative agency.
You can now make a donation by
bankcard in Circle K stations in addition to cash donations. Just ask the
cashier to add the donation to your receipt.
Find out more here
Want
to support cancer patients with the gift of life?
You can also donate via bank
transfer:
Payee: SA Hille Tänavsuu
Vähiravifond Kingitud Elu
Swedbank: EE212200221059073061
SEB Bank: EE211010220228917224
LHV Bank: EE137700771001442514
Danske Bank: EE133300332166860001
Nordea Bank: EE591700017003638161
On our website www.kingitudelu.ee/annetajale
you can use bank links to become a regular benefactor within seconds.
You can sign up for our newsletter
via info@kingitudelu.ee
Wishing you winter cheers
Katrin Kuusemäe
The CEO of the Gift of Life Cancer
Treatment Foundation
Toivo Tänavsuu
The head and founder of the Gift
of Life Cancer Treatment Foundation