Thus, at the beginning of 2016, Lidl partnered with Little People in order to create a total of 2.000 “Brave Lion” therapeutic kits, part of the “I am NOT Afraid” program, developed by the Association. The kits will be offered, free of charge, to the 2.000 children that the organization offers psychosocial support to, starting September 2016 and throughout 2017.
The fear of unknown is the strongest in children and adolescents suffering from cancer. Thus, Lidl, together with Little People, aims at helping them become more familiar with the medical procedures, as well as the stages and transformations of the treatment, with the Brave Lion therapeutic kit, developed in the “I am NOT Afraid” program started by the Association.
Along with the therapeutic doll – the Brave Lion, the kit will also consist of medical instruments, a pain and immunity scale, an activity book, a journal, as well as school supplies, a bandana and branded badges. These will all be included in a personalized backpack, which will then be offered, free of charge, to the children and adolescents admitted in the Pediatric Oncology centers the organization collaborates with, starting September 2016 and throughout 2017.
“The oncological disorders subject is a very sensitive matter to us all, so we started this partnership with Little People wishing to provide support to children and parents alike. Cancer treatment involves changes that often take patients by surprise, especially when talking about children who not only have to fight with pain, but also have to deal with with social exclusion. They have to adapt to a completely new environment, away from all that is familiar to them: colleagues, friends, school. Each of the 2.000 therapeutic backpacks has been designed to stand for a first contact with everything that the treatment represents. The components were designed for two age categories, children and adolescents. In creating them, the association collaborated with artists who have expertise for this kind of materials, as well as with psychologists,” says Maria Pârvuleasa, PR & CSR Manager Lidl Romania.
The Little People Association was founded by Katie and Shajjad Rizvi in 1996, in Cluj Napoca, with a view to offering each child and adolescent suffering from cancer the much needed support. The organization is centered on caring for the needs of each and every patient, as a result of pre and post intervention evaluations.
“We are honored by this partnership, which has enabled us to develop the necessary material for the children and adolescents who have been diagnosed with cancer and for the questions these two age categories might have. It is a privilege for our organization that we have managed, with Lidl’s donation of 100.000 euros, to address a need we have identified throughout our activity,” is what Katie Rizvi, Founder of the Little People Romania Association, tells us.
The association currently offers the Pediatric Oncology system in Romania and Moldova a range of high quality services as well as daily psychosocial support for patients. Furthermore, it organizes complex events for young survivors of cancer and provides financial support for the renovation of special wards in hospitals, such as playrooms, and donates medical equipment and supplies.
About Lidl
Lidl is one of the largest retailers in Europe, active in 27 European countries and with over 100 logistics centers ensuring the distribution for approximately 10.000 stores. With over 170.000 employees, Lidl is currently one of the top 10 retailers in the world.
About Little People
Little People’s psychosocial patient support services reach the largest number of children and young adult cancer patients in Romania and is the only service provider present in all 8 major regional treatment centers, providing a standardized, consistent approach to the psychological and emotional needs of cancer patient children, young people and their families.
Their full spectrum care provides psychological and emotional support to the child and its family from the moment of diagnosis: parent education, patient-centered interventions through the award winning I’m not afraid! (Nu mi-e frica!®) program for the younger ones and age-appropriate peer-support and specialized interventions for teenagers and young adults, special outings and focus group meetings with survivors, long term follow up care and surveillance after end of treatment, as well as patient education and advocacy training.
