His Eminence Metropolitan Ioan of Varna and Veliki Preslav donated an insulin pump of the highest class and supplies for three months to the nine-year-old Georgi Andreev and a sum of BGN 11 503, 40 for the Pediatrics Clinic at UMHAT "St. Marina"-Varna, for antibody testing for diagnosing type 1 diabetes (insulin-dependent).
"This is our duty, and there is no reason for praise. I understand that diabetes is a condition that requires a great deal of care, and especially if it affects children at an early age, that is a huge problem, and for the parents this means going through hard trials," said Metropolitan Ioan while he made the donation.
"These antibodies indicate the need of insulin therapy, which is very important for the affected families when diagnosing the disease. Diabetes affects children of all ages - from babies to young people. Any humane gesture to help these families is of great moral significance. The extended gratitude is to everyone who has responded to the Metropolitan's appeal to donate on his holiday," said Prof. Dr. Violeta Yotova, Head of Pediatrics at UMHAT "St. Marina"-Varna.
Georgi Andreev is a patient at the Centre for Innovative Therapies and Advanced Technologies for Diabetes (CITAT D) at UMHAT "St. Marina" in Varna, which was opened in 2015. Infusion insulin pumps are innovative, effective and expensive therapy that enables children with diabetes to have a normal lifestyle. Thanks to them, small patients do not need to keep a strict daily regimen and to be subjected to multiple pricking on a daily basis. Another great benefit of pump therapy is that children can be monitored at a distance, which reduces their stay in hospital. The Centre for Innovative Therapies and Advanced Technologies at University Hospital "St. Marina" in Varna is the hospital where children with diabetes aged 0 to 18 years from whole Eastern Bulgaria are treated.
The total value of Metropolitan Ioan's donation is BGN 17,617.40, and the funds were raised during his 50th anniversary, when he appealed to the guests at his personal holiday to donate to the cause.
Velina Markovska
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