Christmas campaign: Hundreds respond to Michaela K.'s appeal for donations.
Michaela K. (2nd from right) and her husband Sven L. together with Claudia Erzfeld-Dokanikis and Annette Wiens from the Spieloase are delighted with the many fantastic gifts. Copyright: Tina Götting/MHH
Boxes full of presents: the staff at the children's hospital's play oasis were amazed when Michaela K. opened the doors of the van in which she and her partner Sven L. had driven up on 5 December. The woman from Sarstedt had collected around 1,500 donations for the girls and boys at the children's hospital. It wouldn't have all fitted into a car. The load was of course very welcome so close to Christmas.
Amazon list ‘plundered’
Michaela K. had called for the fundraiser via Instagram. ‘As soon as the post went out, the phone started beeping. One donation after the other came in,’ Michaela K. reports enthusiastically. The woman from Sarstedt had put together an Amazon list of possible gifts: modelling clay, cuddly toys, colouring books, stickers, headphones, bead sets, books, cars, dolls and much more. In total, there were around 90 different products from which the donors could choose. And for weeks, they were extremely generous. ‘Even more expensive gifts, such as sound players for toddlers, were ordered,’ says Michaela K. All donations initially ended up at her home. On the busiest day, the parcel carrier delivered 345 parcels. ‘We stored everything in our winter garden and then sorted it out. Many products had been ordered several times,’ explains the initiator of the campaign.
Personal connection to the children's hospital
The reason for the fundraiser is Michaela K.'s child, little Elina (3). Half a year after her birth, she was diagnosed with a serious heart disease. A heart transplant was her only chance of survival. In June 2022, she received a donor heart. “Fortunately, everything went well and Elina is now a happy little bundle of energy,” says her mother happily. But she still remembers the anxious months in the children's hospital very well and knows what seriously ill children and their families go through. That's why there was no question in her mind about starting the fundraising campaign. The idea originally came from another mother whose child had received a new lung transplant. Since this mother didn't have time for the campaign this year, Michaela K. stepped in.
Claudia Erzfeld-Dokanikis and Annette Wiens from the Spieloase were thrilled with the donations. Members of the Kleine Herzen Hannover association and Rut also came to unload the gifts. The nurse from the paediatric intensive care unit 67 had helped to coordinate the campaign. The donations are not only intended to please the girls and boys in the children's hospital this Christmas. There is so much that little gifts can be distributed to wards, outpatient clinics and the emergency room over the coming year.
Text: Tina Götting