The route of kindness – Sweden-Lithuania-Spain

None of us would like to feel the pain, suffered by parents after being told their child is suffering from oncological illness. Regular trips to the hospital, countless numbers of medical procedures, endless waiting and sometimes – a painful loss. But this time, let’s talk about acts of kindness that allow to forget these heavy feelings at least for a while.

 

Wanted to help children exhausted from illness

 

Some years ago, Fredrik Götlund from Sweden started a charity project, which main goal was to help children, suffering from oncological illnesses. However, the benefactor did not want to limit himself with his homeland, he was eager to help those who really needed such kind of support.  

 

Advised by his Lithuanian wife, he started to develop communication in Lithuania and got acquainted with Childhood Cancer Fund “Rugute“. “This seemed to be so right from the very first moment“, - says F. Götlund. Before taking any actions, he consulted with friends, doctors and even psychologists.

 

You may be wondering, what is this mysterious project about. The main idea is to provide an unforgettable vacation in sunny Mallorca for children who are exhausted from oncological illnesses. For the past several years, F. Götlund and his wife open their villa “Can Fanals“ for groups of little patients to visit in a foreign country, so they could recover their strength and forget the hospital at least for a while.  

 

“I believe that not only children but also their parents deserve some rest from the illness. It is always useful to spend some time with people of the same destiny, who have the same daily experiences and experience same emotions.

 

From the very beginning, our idea was to arrange a family project, because oncological illnesses affect not the child but also his parents. I hope that this project was successful and I will continue developing it. It is very important for me to share what I have. There is a Swedish saying that the sorrows you share split into two, the joy you share doubles, “– says the kind-hearted Swede.

 

According to the founder of the project, he always tries to spend as much time with the children and their parents as he can, in order to know them better or just to talk to them: “I always try to find some time to the things that are important to me, and these kids are very important to me.“

 

Fund “Rugute“ always takes care of children’s stay in Mallorca, not only by assuring children‘s rest, but also by arranging various trips and interesting activities that help children have amazing time and get acquainted with the native culture of Mallorca Island.  

 

The rest is a must for children who overcame the illness

 

The founder and director of fund “Rugute“ says that the treatment of children suffering from oncological illnesses takes a lot of time, is very complicated and intensive. Children experience controversial emotions – various medical procedures evoke fear, anxiety and anger. Children who reach remission are often suffering from various complications of the treatment and cannot forget the hospital because of the trips back... For a long time, I had the idea that our aim is not only to take care of our little patients, but also to not leave behind children who are in remission.

 

To recover one’s body and soul, which are exhausted from the illness, active and passive rest, new positive experiences and emotions are a must. Positive emotions unlock feelings, establish confidence in oneself and stimulate to enjoy the moment. From all of my heart I thank Jurga and Fredrik, who brought the joy to children‘s hearts and gave a huge impulse for emotional recovery.“

 

Even the smallest details matter

 

“It was the biggest and the most pleasant adventure of my life.“ „Positive emotions, experienced during the visit, were like natural vitamins for children and a spiritual rehabilitation for parents after the stress they have experienced.“ “The offer to go to Mallorca was like a dream, and for my daughter it was the biggest award for winning the fight with oncological illness.“

 

These are the raw emotions of little patients and their parents after a week spent far away from everyday worries and thoughts about effects of the illness. These words exactly describe the value of F. Götlund’s and “Rugute“ project.

 

Lukrecija‘s mother Fausta Sabaliauskiene confirms that this visit was not an ordinary vacation, it was a certain rehabilitation: “News about the diagnosis heavily affected Lukrecija and her relatives. It was very hard to be far away from home, family and friends. I had to learn a lot of various medical terms, there was plenty of tests performed, and also I felt fear, stress, uncertainty, guilt and many other shocking emotions.  

 

In situation like this it is not only the disease you face, there are lots of physical and psychological consequences after it. The child suffering from oncological illness needs a strong support from the environment. So vacations like this help to overcome various psychological obstacles, anxiety and even fear.“ 

 

Gerda‘s mother Ala Vilbrantiene says that in trips like this children are gladdened even by the smallest details that allow to forget previous experiences.

 

“During her treatment in hospital Gerda dreamed about finding new friends, traveling and swimming in the sea. I was very glad to see my child smiling and having a lot of new experiences: she climbed to the mountain for the first time, swam in an outdoor pool and ate the orange she picked from the tree herself, visited the sea museum and spent nice evenings with her friends in a real paradise, not in the hospital. These kids enjoyed every little moment and detail and told about their invaluable experiences to everybody the next day“, - says A. Vilbrantiene.  

 

“Liepa was in a long term remission during the trip. We were worried about potential injuries, because she had to be very careful after her head and spine surgeries. However, knowing that nobody is protected against random injuries and that all of the experienced emotions are unforgettable made fear disappear immediately!

 

During the stay children understood each other completely, reacted naturally to each other’s scars, there was no bullying because they all of them had something in common. Children sincerely communicated with each other and had lots of fun together. And mothers enjoyed seeing active, energetic, curious and smiling children. What else could we wish for?“, - says Ruta Dabravolskiene.

 

The project “Rehabilitation camp in Mallorca for children who suffered from oncological illnesses“ does not have any intentions to stop. In spring 2018, F. Götlund will open his villa “Can Fanals“ for the tenth group of children and will help them not to think about severe illnesses, but enjoy life.