Olgäle Foundation for Sick Children

For almost twenty years the Olgäle Foundation for Sick Children has been supporting the Olgahospital in Stuttgart, one of the largest children’s hospitals in Germany. The Olgahospital provides care for children from Stuttgart, from the surrounding region, all of Germany, and abroad.

Around 120,000 children are treated on an outpatient basis and 15,000 as in- patients in this specialised hospital. Health insurance does not sufficiently cover specialised outpatient care and frequently does not cover the full costs of inpatient treatment either. The hospital therefore has a large de cit of many millions of euros every year, which results in having to take cost-cutting measures.

The Olgäle Foundation is committed to creating an environment which makes the young patients feel safe and secure – no matter what their illness may be.

The Olgäle Foundation funds several clowns, which distract the sick children from their worries and fears, a psychologist for the parents of premature babies, several social workers, therapeutic horseback riding for mentally ill children, as well as a cancer researcher. A childcare worker helps the children get through their chemotherapy. Funding for a doctor and two nurses has been provided for follow-up care at home for children with cancer or severe chronic illness. Experienced nurses advise parents on all aspects of the care and nutrition of their babies and young children, and much more.

In spring 2014 the new Olgahospital was opened with a modern mother–child centre. The new building cost a total of some 330 million euros. The Olgäle Foundation for Sick Children was involved here as well, since the child-friendly equipping of the hospital was not included in the construction costs.

A large “ark of hope” in the entrance hall, which serves as a play area and theatre, is designed to take away the children’s fear of their stay in hospital. Six colourful animals from all continents accompany the children from the ark to their ward. Happy tales are told along the walls and serve as a guidance system and orientation aid. The Olgäle Foundation has also installed a butterfly mobile in an inner courtyard. A second courtyard in the form of a green maze allows the patients to relax.

A library for children and parents as well as an Internet room for older children are operated by volunteers of the foundation. An attractively designed fare- well room aims to ease the final parting with a terminally ill child for parents and siblings of all religions.

The Olgäle Foundation also assists in the equipping of the new building with state-of-the-art medical equipment. The funds are to be invested in particular in the radiology department, so that two MRI scanners are available for use, but also in cardiology, so that the cardiac catheter station for children born with heart defects produces less radiation exposure, as well as in orthopaedics, with a clinical gait laboratory for severely disabled children.

All of this is only possible with the help of donations, both large and small – every donation is welcome. Through membership or volunteer work you can also help sick children receive the best possible care in the future as well.