What is the Alina Foundation?The Foundation is a charity registered in England (No. 1137887). It was set up in 2009 to support people suffering from cancer and other terminal illnesses, their families and those who care for them. We do this by purchasing vital equipment, which is used in hospices and lent out for free to support patients in their own homes.
|
|
Why hospices in Poland?
In 2009 Alina, our Mother and Grandmother, was diagnosed with cancer. We were able to make sure that she spent her final months at home with her family only with the help of the local hospice, St Camil's in Bielsko-Biala. Those months made us realise just how vital a job these small hospices do, on incredibly few resources.
The Polish health service is massively overstretched: the state doctor visited Alina once during four months - to issue her death certificate. At the same time in Bielsko, a town of about 180,000 people, there are only about 30 hospital beds for the terminally ill. The hospitals that exist are often old and under-equipped - on a recent visit I saw people who had to provide their own soap and blankets. Medicines, including painkillers are still very expensive, and many people cannot afford the specialist equipment that is so essential for the terminally ill.
In this situation hospices do an amazing job: they provide loans of equipment and medicines, doctors, nurses and volunteers, as well as essential guidance, information and counselling for families. Vitally, all their services are free, and are sometimes the only help that people receive. Some hospices receive limited funds from the national health service, and a few, against the odds, are state of the art institutions. However, many more are like St Camil's: staffed entirely by volunteers, and run from an old garage full of donated old equipment. It is these hospices that our Trust exists to support.
The Polish health service is massively overstretched: the state doctor visited Alina once during four months - to issue her death certificate. At the same time in Bielsko, a town of about 180,000 people, there are only about 30 hospital beds for the terminally ill. The hospitals that exist are often old and under-equipped - on a recent visit I saw people who had to provide their own soap and blankets. Medicines, including painkillers are still very expensive, and many people cannot afford the specialist equipment that is so essential for the terminally ill.
In this situation hospices do an amazing job: they provide loans of equipment and medicines, doctors, nurses and volunteers, as well as essential guidance, information and counselling for families. Vitally, all their services are free, and are sometimes the only help that people receive. Some hospices receive limited funds from the national health service, and a few, against the odds, are state of the art institutions. However, many more are like St Camil's: staffed entirely by volunteers, and run from an old garage full of donated old equipment. It is these hospices that our Trust exists to support.
How do we pick the hospices that we help?
We work with the national Polish campaign "A Hospice is Life Too" to identify the hospices that will most benefit from a little bit of extra help, often because they receive little funding, yet work in areas of great need. Hospices can also get in touch with us directly to ask for funding when they need a particular piece of equipment.
Who are the trustees of the Foundation?
The Foundation is run by Ewa and Janusz Holender.
Ewa is a lawyer working in Vancouver, Canada. She has been involved with a number of charities in the past, as a director, volunteer and legal advisor. In her spare time she bikes and skis in the mountains of beautiful British Columbia.
Janusz is a computer and business consultant, and was a physicist in his past life. In his spare time he bikes around the Buckinghamshire countryside, plays tennis and golf.
Ewa is a lawyer working in Vancouver, Canada. She has been involved with a number of charities in the past, as a director, volunteer and legal advisor. In her spare time she bikes and skis in the mountains of beautiful British Columbia.
Janusz is a computer and business consultant, and was a physicist in his past life. In his spare time he bikes around the Buckinghamshire countryside, plays tennis and golf.
