In addition to the main sponsor Actavis, the charity ball was also sponsored by Birac Communications, Grafix, Teleflora and Mackov Cellar. Donors were Telekom Serbia, EFT, Ball Packaging, Executive Group, Sanofi, Vip mobile, Mona, Academy of Fine Arts, Delta Foundation, Roche, Hyatt Regency, Radulovic cars, Lush, Messer Tehnogas, Bel Medic, Danone Adriatic, Ivancic and Sons, British International School and The English Book. The Ambassadors from United Kingdom, Norway, France, Italy, Netherlands, Denmark, Japan, Australia, Mexico, South Korea, Apostolic Nunciature, and the wives of the Canadian and Indonesian Ambassadors also attended.

Apart from the great food and premium wine, the guests were able to enjoy an entertainment programme prepared by the dancers from the Terazije Theatre. During the dinner, the guests were addressed by the Romanian Princess Marina Sturdza. In her moving speech she addressed the issues of palliative care of cancer patients and stressed the importance for all of us to help our fellow citizens in restoring their dignity and relieving them from pain and suffering.

After a short movie about BELhospice patients, our guests participated in a charity auction which was supported with donations from well known Serbian athletes, artists, hotels and institutions.

This charity ball was of great encouragement for all of us who work in BELhospice and for our patients, because we know that we can rely on the help of those who have recognized the big difference palliative care can bring into the lives of terminally ill cancer patients. This event raised 18,000 Euros which will be sufficient to cover the cost of engagement of our 3 nurses for 10 months in 2013.

The guests were told that in Serbia about 20,000 people die from cancer each year, of whom about 6,000 die in Belgrade. When their specific oncology therapy ends, they are being realesed from hospitals and, most often, left alone without any support. Serbian health care and social systems are still not able to provide a full spectrum of palliative care services that can address the specific needs of these patients.

BELhospice provides all the necessary care and support with two specialist medical teams (two doctors and three nurses) that, on average,  care for about 50 patients in their homes. BELhospice teams work in collaboration with GPs from district health centres and provide pain and symptom control, nursing care, psychological counseling and support from social worker, spiritual coordinator and volunteers. This multidisciplinary approach helps to improve the patients’ quality of life in their difficult circumstances. Ever since 2004, when BELhospice was established, more then 800 cancer patients and their families have received our help and support.

BELhospice plans, in cooperation with Ministry of Health and Belgrade City Hall, to build a first in-patient hospice in Belgrade. Hospices are institutions specialized in palliative care. Hospices exist in over 125 countries in the world, but there are still none in Serbia. This could be the motivation for the next BELhospice Charity Ball in Belgrade.

Photos from the ball can be seen on our Facebook page.