News
11/08/2023
The initiative aims to provide care and warmth to young patients while raising awareness for donations to the Mato Grosso oncology institution.
Thais Lima, 13 years old, is one of over 65,000 patients treated at the Hospital de Câncer de Mato Grosso (HCanMT) in 2023. On the morning of Wednesday, August 9, she received a surprise visit from Bom Futuro Volunteers, a group of employees from the company.
The goal was to brighten the day for the children and adolescents waiting for oncology treatment at the hospital, which serves individuals from across Mato Grosso through the Unified Health System (SUS). “I was very happy with the surprise; when people come here to donate their time and love, it means a lot,” said Thais.
August is a month that celebrates the importance of volunteering in Brazil, with August 28 recognized as National Volunteer Day. For Andréa de Arruda Dias, an accounting employee at Bom Futuro in Cuiabá, being a volunteer is a gratifying experience.
“I joined the volunteer program last year, right after I started at the company. We took a clowning course for three months, and now I’m here on this journey. Each day, our actions intensify, and it’s beautiful to see how we uplift the environment; the children are very happy,” Andréa shared.
From January to July of this year, HCanMT received 17,548 patients and conducted 64,921 appointments. Most of the oncology patients are from Mato Grosso, totaling nearly 17,000 individuals from 194 municipalities.
The hospital also received 351 patients from 35 municipalities in Ceará and 32 patients from 19 cities in Rondônia. Patients from across the country seek care at HCanMT. This year, patients from 24 of Brazil's 26 states, as well as the Federal District, have already been treated at the hospital.
The institution is philanthropic and exclusively serves through SUS, relying not only on government funding but also on donations from companies and individuals. This is why they participate annually in McDia Feliz, an initiative organized by the Ronald McDonald Institute, which will take place on August 26. Through the sale of t-shirts and Big Mac tickets, people can help support the Mato Grosso hospital.