Steinbeis builds bridges between science and industry, always focusing on providing customers with tangible benefit. The approach is a leitmotiv for proactive, success-based technology transfer. But in everyday life, there are sometimes situations when this simply doesn’t work. Targeted support has to come from a volunteer because the situation will have a lasting impact on a person’s life. When a doctor has to tell someone that their child has cancer, it has existential implications for the child, parents and siblings. Totally different kinds of advice and support are called for to ease the burden of everyday life and help patients and those around them to learn to live with the situation. The Steinbeis Transfer Center for Manufacturing Technology & Machine Tools (TzPW) works with enterprise partners to support a Munich-based parents’ initiative called "Elterninitiative Krebskranke Kinder München e.V."
Founded in 1985, the Krebskranke Kinder charity is run by volunteers and funded through donations. Its aim is to help children undergoing treatment in Munich for cancer, and by extension, to help their parents and siblings. Its work includes one-on-one activities plus assistance with organization and finances. Over the years, the charity has become an important partner to children’s oncological wards. As well as working with doctors, nursing staff and psycho-sociologists, volunteers support the “School for Patients” at Schwabing Children’s Hospital (the clinic and outpatients’ clinic for pediatrics and youth medicine, Technische Universität München, Schwabing Clinic).
The parent initiative provides families with support in a number of ways – financial and psychological support, plus help with authorities. It also sponsors the work of KONA, a coordination unit for psycho-social follow-up care for the relatives of children cancer patients, and Jugend & Zukunft. This initiative also participates in a palliative care project for children with cancer called “Kleine Riesen.” The charity’s work on the wards includes staff funding to maintain nursing standards. It also helps fund children’s cancer research. This builds strong bridges, addressing medical needs and providing much needed help to individuals. Making a contribution to the work of the charity is easy: More information is available on the Internet.
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Michael Kaufeld
Steinbeis Transfer Center Manufacturing Technology & Machine Tools (TzPW, Horgau)