Money for experiences for children with cancer and their families.
A donation of DKK 15,000 from Sol og Strand and Sol og Strand Fund enables the Association for Families with Children Affected by Cancer to bring rays of light into the often difficult situations faced by families dealing with cancer.
AWARDED
15,000 kr.
2024
Learn more about
Association for Families with Children Affected by Cancer
The money has helped send around 320 children and adults on trips to Jyllands Park Zoo and Jesperhus Holiday Park.
"These are experiences that mean the world to families with a child suffering from cancer," says Charlotte Kastbjerg from the association, which celebrated its 40th anniversary last year.
The association, which has around 3,000 members, provides support and assistance in a broad sense. Among other things, families can obtain legal and social advice, and theme days are held for grandparents and families who have lost a child. The association awards grants to families with terminally ill children and organizes trips where families can meet like-minded people.
"We hold around 60 events a year, which is possible thanks to support from foundations, companies, and private individuals," says Charlotte Kastbjerg.
According to the association, 160 children under the age of 14 are diagnosed with cancer every year, which has a huge impact on the sick child, their parents, and any siblings.
Cancer is often associated with long periods of hospitalization, which means that it is impossible for families to maintain a normal everyday life. When they participate in a trip or an event, they can put the disease on hold for a while—to the extent that this is possible—and they have the opportunity to create a network where they can support each other, says Charlotte Kastbjerg.
The association collaborates with the country's four pediatric cancer wards and provides books, teddy bears, coloring books, and other items that can provide distraction during hospitalization. In addition, the association has a group of volunteers who have had personal experience with cancer. Every other week, the so-called "Træffer-Team" visits Aarhus University Hospital, where volunteers share their own experiences and talk about the challenges that arise when a family is affected by cancer.
"The volunteers also help to form a network among the parents of hospitalized children and create a framework where parents can share the concerns that inevitably arise when their child is diagnosed with cancer," says Charlotte Kastbjerg.