On December 24, facilitated by the Open Society Georgia Foundation and Adjara Group Company, the fifth charity auction was held in support of the Children’s Hospice “Firefly World”, as a result of which 110 thousand US dollars were raised. This support will make hard days easier for children with chronic and incurable diseases and their families.
Among the authors of the artistic works put up for the auction were: Mr. Karlo Katcharava, Mr. Gogi Chagelishvili, Mr. Oleg Timchenko, Mr. Aleksey Dubinsky, Ms. Lia Shvelidze, Ms. Salome Rigvava, Ms. Niniko Morbedadze, Ms. Maka Batiashvili, Mr. Murtaz Shvelidze, Mr. Mamuka Tsetskladze, Mr. Aleksandre Varvaridze, Mr. Otia Chagelishvili, Ms. Maka Jebirashvili, Ms. Tinatin Chkhikvishvili, Ms. Rusudan Chikvaidze, Mr. Piko Nizharadze and others. The artists donated their works to the hospice. Among them there were paintings from family collections, including from the collection of Ms. Keti Khutsishvili, the Executive Director of the Open Society Georgia Foundation.
The first Children’s Hospice in Georgia, “Firefly World,” was opened in 2017 on the initiative of the Open Society Georgia Foundation. Here, children suffering from chronic and incurable diseases are provided with assistance in alleviating the symptoms caused by the disease and in getting rid of physical, psychological and spiritual pain. The need for palliative care arises when we are dealing with incurable diseases. The most important condition in the hospice’s work is to create a family-type environment. In parallel to the in-patient service, the hospice offers day care center and home care services. All types of services at the “Firefly World” are free of charge.
The Foundation started work on establishing a hospice in 2013 after conducting a study on needs assessment in the field of children’s palliative care. The study results showed that 840 children in Georgia need palliative care services per year. Out of these children, up to 30 require hospice care, which means in-patient palliative care at a special hospice.
The construction of the children’s hospice began in 2016 on the initiative of the Open Society Georgia Foundation, with the support of the Reserve Fund of the then-President of Georgia Mr. Giorgi Margvelashvili, and the Evex company. Hundreds of citizens, companies with high social responsibility and artists joined this initiative. The existence of the first European-standard children’s hospice in the Caucasus – is the accomplishment of this unity.
The Tbilisi Children’s Hospice was established sharing international experience, and it fully complies with international standards in terms of qualification of service personnel, architectural planning, medical approach, interior layout, and number of beds.
Functioning of the “Firefly World” is sustained only through private donations. You also have the opportunity to contribute to the existence of the first children’s hospice in Georgia and make the days of children suffering from chronic and incurable diseases more colorful:
Bank of Georgia: #GE31BG0000000368074900
Beneficiary: “Children’s Hospice” NNLE; Purpose: charity.
