Exactly 102 days before the 33rd Grand Finale of the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity, Jurek Owsiak announced the medical objective for our upcoming winter fundraiser, during an attempt to break the world record for first aid. On 26 January 2025, we will unite once again to fight childhood cancer!
The announcement took place in Gdynia, on board the iconic school frigate Dar Młodzieży, part of Gdynia Maritime University. This ship was the backdrop for the main event of our record-breaking first aid campaign, which is part of our 'CPR for Schools' Educational Programme.
Record-breaking first aid campaign in Gdynia, photo: Michał Kwaśniewski
In addition to revealing the aim for the 33rd Grand Finale, we also opened registration for GOCC Collection Centres – vital hubs for local fundraising activities. These centres bring together volunteers and activists to help organise collections and events, playing a key role in making the January Grand Finale a success.
The countdown to breaking the record of the first aid campaign, photo: Lucyna Lewandowska
Why paediatric oncology and hematology?
Cancer is the second leading cause of death in children in Poland, after accidents. Each year, around 1,100 children are diagnosed with cancer, with 3,000 currently undergoing intensive treatment.* Thanks to advances in oncology, the survival rate has risen to over 80%, placing Poland on par with Western European countries and the United States.
However, treating childhood cancer requires significant resources, both in terms of equipment and diagnostics. With the funds raised during the 33rd Grand Finale, we will be able to equip hospitals with cutting-edge tools to provide faster, more effective treatment for children with cancer. The Foundation also supports the treatment of non-oncological hematological conditions, which are among the most common chronic illnesses in children.
The 33rd Grand Finale is another step in our ongoing fight for children’s health in Poland. On 26 January 2025, we will be raising funds for 18 paediatric wards, 17 hospices, 5 oncology neurosurgery centres, 6 oncology surgery centres, and 4 pathomorphology units. With the support of donors, we aim to purchase the latest diagnostic equipment, helping doctors combat cancer and other serious blood diseases in children.
Equipment we aim to purchase with the funds raised:
- Oncological surgery: laparoscopic sets, robotic surgical systems, cystoscopes, ultrasound aspirators, and mobile digital X-ray machines.
- Neurosurgery: neurosurgical exoscopes and bipolar coagulation devices
- Oncology diagnostics: magnetic brain mapping tools, MRI machines, and ultrasound equipment.
- Pathomorphology: intraoperative tomography devices, tissue processors, and histopathology scanners.
- Hospices: oxygen concentrators and anti-bedsore mattresses
GOCC and our commitment to oncology
The GOCC Foundation has been supporting paediatric oncology since the earliest editions of the Grand Finale. In 2009 and 2010, funds raised were directed towards improving oncology diagnostics in paediatric medicine. At the time, the challenges included not only a shortage of medical equipment but also a lack of awareness among parents, family doctors, and policymakers regarding the need for systemic change in accessing diagnostic centres. To address these issues, we launched the Nationwide Children's Cancer Diagnostics and Treatment Programme, which provided key paediatric oncology clinics in Poland with state-of-the-art diagnostic tools.
So far, we have donated over 1,005 pieces of medical equipment, worth PLN 107.8 million, to healthcare professionals across Poland. Four previous Grand Finales (the 3rd, 17th, 18th, and 23rd) were also focused on supporting oncology. Thanks to the overwhelming generosity of our donors, we have been able to purchase 93 ultrasound machines, 3 MRI scanners, and 6 CT scanners.
One of the most significant purchases in the Foundation’s history was Poland’s only digital PET-CT scanner dedicated to children, delivered to The Children’s Memorial Health Institute in 2022. This groundbreaking machine, valued at nearly PLN 16 million, enables precise diagnosis and treatment monitoring for childhood cancer.
The opening of the PET-CT scanner in The Children’s Memorial Health Institute, photo: Łukasz Widziszowski
Our recent 32nd Grand Finale was dedicated to acquiring equipment for diagnosing, monitoring, and rehabilitating lung conditions in children and adults, with a total of PLN 281,879,118.07 raised under the theme of ‘Post-pandemic lungs’.
*Source: www.dkms.pl
