In 2011, thirty years after the first children’s hospice was built in England, the first Hungarian children’s hospice, Dóri House, launched operations in the city of Pécs, near the southern border of Hungary.
The Light of My Eyes Foundation which operates Dóri House, struggles with issues common to the establishment of children’s hospice organisations anywhere in the world. Issues such as educating the public and convincing health policy makers to accept the international standards of care for children with life limiting conditions. Our organisation has had to learn by translating information on palliative care into Hungarian; we have also participated in and organised congresses in order to learn as much as possible and to avoid possible errors and traps. In addition we have found it necessary to raise the large sums of money needed for optimal operation. To that end we have found it necessary to set up community fundraising and other non-profit enterprising entities and to educate the public and private companies about what we do.
Our small Hungarian children’s hospice team has managed to convince the adult hospice movement about the need for a separate platform aimed at pediatric palliative care. In addition we have managed to raise the level of government participation with the result that health policy makers are now ready to change laws and rules for the provision of finance.
Volunteers needed
Today the most urgent problem faced by Dóri House is the lack of professional paediatric doctors, nurses and other therapists specialising in palliative care for children and a need for more fundraising staff. The organisation would like to encourage the development of our Hungarian children’s hospice by providing free accommodation and catering to any volunteers with skills and qualifications that could benefit our team. For the year 2015 we are looking for English-speaking volunteers with a background in paediatric palliative care. Volunteering could be for short or long periods of time.
Our urgent needs are:
- to understand symptomatic treatment
- learning and accreditation of courses in paediatric palliative care
- setting up a national paediatric palliative care strategy
- conducting diplomatic work with responsible officials within the ministry of health
- setting up standards
- supporting families
- end-of-life-care activities at Dóri House and at home
- a clearer understanding of the hospice care philosophy
- assistance in extending our scope of operations to double the number of families presently supported.
The children’s hospice team is also looking for English-speaking volunteers to educate us on the efficient use of community funds, events, tenders, charity shops and other marketing and fundraising activities. The young and determined team of Dóri House, faced with funds barely covering everyday operations is ready to cooperate with international professional children’s hospice organisations, umbrella organisations and supporting institutions.
If you are interested in volunteering, please send your English-language application with a photo, CV, references and letter of motivation via email before the 31st of January, 2015 to the president of the organisation, Ms Barbara Gyura. Email address: gyurabarbara@szememfenye.hu
More information on Dóri House can be found on our website or on our Facebook page
Postal Address: Szemem Fenye Alapitvany, Pécs, Rácvarosi út 37. 7634 Hungary
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