El Petit Bernat » Volunteers

Many Thanks to the Volunteers!

ElPetitBernat — Tue, 09 Feb 2016 08:15:49 +0000

Last Thursday, February 4th, while Bernat was receiving his transfusion, we had a lovely visit from somebody special. It was Salvador Tejero, one of the most senior and beloved volunteers at the Sant Joan de Déu Hospital. It had been several months since we had last seen him. We thought that maybe they had changed his volunteer station and that we wouldn’t run into him again. But it had been personal reasons that had kept him away for a time. In any event, when he came into our room, we were very happy.

Salvador started as a volunteer on the Oncology wing but after a time, moved to the Hospital de Día. This year will mark his 12th as a volunteer. That’s twelve years during which he has dedicated his time to this generous and altruistic work.

We have known him since Bernat was almost two months old and he has proven himself to be a person with a great heart. He knows how to deal with children, parents and/or families during delicate times. His presence infects everyone around him with positive energy. It’s undeniable that volunteer work is his vocation. Thank you, Salvador!

The team of volunteers at the Sant Joan de Déu Hospital is indispensable and throughout our years as patient and family, we have met many amazing and kind people. To them we are forever grateful. They have been beside us during each and every moment and day. Empathizing and navigating the situation, they have been able to distract us and to make us all feel better. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Volunteers Always Make It Easier

ElPetitBernat — Fri, 02 Oct 2015 10:50:33 +0000

Last Tuesday the 29th Bernat received another blood transfusion. Even as his parents it’s hard to know exactly how he is actually feeling. He had been tired for a few days but as usual he was still eager to do everything. In fact, even when he first arrived at the hospital he kept talking and laughing and was in a great mood. However, shortly after breakfast while we were waiting for results, we were told to go upstairs immediately because the level of red blood cells was 5.4.

A level below 7 should be taken very seriously even with kids that are used to having chronic anemia. One problem that exist with chronic anemia is that the heart has to pump harder just to supply enough oxygen to the metabolism of your body. Bernat had never reached a level below 7 before in his life and this resulted in a difficult morning for his family. These low levels were unexpected, and each day more and more surprises arose. However, Bernat stayed strong and was able to ignore the struggles he faced but his family had to get used to the fact that he was very sick.

Thanks to the volunteers at the hospital, there was always a reason to smile and forget about the unfortunate situation at hand. We had a much appreciated visit from Frederic Ferralta as seen in the picture above. Ferralta was great company to Bernat with his kindness and generosity. Above all we were surprised by Frederic’s ability to make all kinds of balloon figures. The balloons looked very professional and he even made a puppy and a sword out of balloons and gave them to Bernat. Thank You!

How Sweet!

ElPetitBernat — Tue, 07 Apr 2015 21:00:05 +0000

Today, the children of the Day Hospital received a very sweet gift: two chocolate sculptures that are authentic works of art. The bakery Llorenç from Viladecans created these treats voluntarily, and brought a little bit of happiness to the children that were there. One sculpture was dedicated to the mythical Disney movie “The Lion King”, and the other to “Ice Age.” Some spectacular works for a marvelous cause.

Bernat ate a penguin made of white chocolate, and a piece of a tree from the Ice Age sculpture. What child says no to chocolate?

Many thanks to the Llorenç Bakery, it was a fantastic gift!