2024 has been a significant and remarkable year for Fenix Charity Fund, a Lithuanian charity organization dedicated to improving the lives of children.
Over the past year, Fenix Charity Fund engaged in various projects across Lithuania and Latvia. These efforts have already improved access to healthcare and other vital resources, significantly and positively impacting the lives of many young people. To date, more than 5,000 children have already benefited from all initiatives.
By the end of 2024, Fenix Charity Fund supported several hospitals in Lithuania and Latvia, providing them with critical medical equipment. One of the most significant projects was equipping the Neonatology Center of Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Klinikos with modern mechanical lung ventilators that are critical for the survival and rate of premature babies, and according to Arūnas Liubsys, Director of the Neonatology Center, these tiny patients comprise 75-85% of the NICU population.
Another impactful contribution was the installation of the audiometry booth at the Children’s Clinical University Hospital in Riga. Dr. Janis Sokolovs, Head of the Ear, Nose, and Throat Clinic, shared that the new audiometry booth will allow around 2,000 hearing tests annually, significantly reducing the wait time and improving the diagnosis and treatment of hearing impairments for young patients.
In Lithuania, two hospitals also received devices for their Neonatal Intensive Care Units.
The Republican Hospital in Šiauliai was equipped with a non-invasive respiratory support device to assist newborns and premature infants in critical need. As Vaida Aleksandravičienė, Coordinator of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, explained, approximately 1,600 newborns are delivered at the hospital annually, with about 5.5% of them requiring intensive care, making the new, updated device crucial for supporting their recovery and reducing treatment times.
By the end of 2024, The Lithuanian University Health Sciences Kauno Klinikos will receive a modern device called Dual Incu i – an incubator that creates optimal conditions for infant survival and healthy development. According to Prof. Dr. Rasa Tamelienė, Head of the Department of Neonatology, this equipment is vital, as Kauno Klinikos treats approximately 500 premature babies annually, with around 400 requiring intensive care in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
Beyond its healthcare initiatives, Fenix Charity Fund has also devoted considerable efforts to supporting children in foster homes, SOS villages, and those facing crisis situations in Latvia and Lithuania. Faced with difficult and unforeseen circumstances, these children often need help to heal emotionally and psychologically, regain confidence, and rebuild a sense of stability and safety. The fund has worked to create spaces for children’s recovery and development. Efforts have also included ensuring children are prepared for school, providing them with tools and support needed for their education. For those needing extra emotional care, initiatives such as providing special comfort toys or fulfilling Christmas wishes aim to bring moments of joy and hope. Throughout the year, the fund was actively collaborating with individuals, volunteers, and several other charity and non-charity organizations devoted to helping others.
Additionally, support was directed toward families affected by a devastating fire in Juodšiliai, Lithuania. With the fund’s quick response, monetary support for necessary items was promptly raised to help children and their parents recover and rebuild their lives in a secure and stable environment.
Fenix Charity Fund recognizes that this won’t be possible without generous help from donors and its primary partner Walletto, that continuously support its initiatives.
Santa Laizane, the director of the fund, reflects: “Fenix Charity Fund continues to work with compassion and passion in our minds and hearts to make sure children in need receive the support they deserve. Each project we undertake is a step toward creating a brighter and safer future because children are the future of the world. We are deeply grateful for every donation we have received from caring people, as well as the generous support of our partner Walletto. With respect and gratitude, we thank everyone we partnered with this year – whether Hospitals, SOS villages, other charity organizations, or individuals who tirelessly care every day about people around them. Thank you for staying with us, and we look forward to achieving even more, together, in the following years.”