If there was one thing I had to name as the most egregious injustice in this world, it would be children suffering from terminal illnesses. This should never, ever happen – yet it does.
Years ago, when I volunteered at the West Pomeranian Hospice for Children and Adults in Szczecin, Poland, it gave me a sense of perspective.
The sight of parents boldly facing the tides of an often-unwinnable war, doing what they could not to be swept away by the flood – despite the tragedy, it was a remarkable and inspiring sight.
I utterly admire organisations such as the Hospice, and people who work there, for lending their support to the children in need – and supporting them, their parents, and families in their time of need, both from a medical, psychological, and a simply human standpoint.
West Pomeranian Hospice for Children and Adults offers support to those in palliative care, and to their families.
I knew that sooner or later, I would like to raise money for the Hospice – however infinitesimal the amount, I truly wanted to support this organisation and its mission. When the time came, I decided to do this in a form of a wager and ask people to pledge an amount they would donate for each kilogram I lost over the course of four months.
With the support of my generous backers, losing 16kg meant we were able to raise £1,910 for the Hospice – an amount I never would have dreamt possible… but that is not all.
Thanks to Cisco’s donation matching program, we were able to double this to £3,820.
With Kinga Krzywicka – the Hospice’s President – against the backdrop of a map marking the locations of the Hospice’s patients.
Going through the process meant that the Hospice had to be vetted first, which took some time, but now that it had successfully undergone the process any further donations should be promptly matched – and I will be looking for further opportunities to leverage the donation matching program in support of the Hospice.
Please be sure to check the next blog entry, based on my interview with the Hospice’s President.
I would like to finish by extending my deepest, heart-felt thanks to every single one of you who supported me in this endeavour, and to Cisco for doubling our donation – it will be put to good use.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Matt
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