Context of care

How small things can make a big difference

UZ Leuven Charity is very close to the heart of Kirsten from the social work department. “Through UZ Leuven Charity we can strengthen the personal character of the care we offer to patients and their loved ones, especially when hospital costs are already so high that patients have no room left for those little extras.”

UZ Leuven Charity is based on the conviction that equal care should be accessible to everyone. That accessibility involves more than the price tag of the treatment itself: transport to and from the hospital and the stay of family members during treatment also increase the overall cost. That is why UZ Leuven Charity supports small-scale initiatives that make equal care financially and socially accessible for the most vulnerable people in our society.

“As social workers, we very often come into contact with patients and their families who are struggling financially during illness or treatment. We regularly ask ourselves what we can do for such families. Is there really no way for the hospital to provide a small financial contribution so that we can fulfil a last wish, organise a celebratory moment in the hospital or create an opportunity for people to meet? When there’s initiative, it’s a pity that things sometimes get stuck at the point where we think: ‘These are all wonderful ideas, but who’s going to pay for them? We currently have no money for this.’ Knowing that we can turn to UZ Leuven Charity for a small financial push makes the difference between dreaming and doing.

I’m mainly talking about small things: we don’t need large budgets. It’s often about small, ad hoc requests; personal stories that move us. Stories in which you can clearly see a real human need. We want to bring people together, we want to create closeness, but for purely financial reasons that is sometimes not possible. In those situations, even small amounts can make a world of difference.”