The ALS ice bucket challenge that took Malta by storm at the end of August has helped Hospice Malta collect about €23,000 in donations.
“The sum is not definite and ice bucket donations are still coming in, so we will have the exact figure at the end of the year,” Hospice Care Services manager Anna Zammit told Times of Malta.
Apart from donations we also had a spike in calls from relatives or patients who didn’t know we gave care to motor neurone disease sufferers
Donations were received – and are still trickling in – via mobile texts, bank transfers and cheques.
The challenge, which dares nominated participants to be filmed having a bucket of ice water poured on their heads and then nominating others and donating to charity, started off in the US in July and went viral on social media all over the world.
The aim was to raise funds for research into a lethal neurodegenerative disorder known as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), which attacks the nerves and muscles.
In Malta the challenge served to create awareness about the support given by the Malta Hospice Movement to people with motor neurone disease.
“It helped us in many ways. Apart from the donations we also had a spike in calls – about 10 more calls per week – from relatives or patients who did not know that we provided care services to motor neurone disease sufferers,” Ms Zammit said.
“They told us they got to know about our services from the ice bucket challenge and plucked up the courage to call us.”
The Malta Hospice Movement, which cares for 900 patients free of charge, has provided support to 13 sufferers of motor neurone diseases varying in ages from 40 up to 60.
Hospice Malta said the sum collected will go towards providing patients with equipment, such as beds and wheelchairs, due to mobility problems.
“We have a team of workers, nurses, doctors, social workers, therapists: they carry out visits in people’s homes every day in Malta and Gozo,” Ms Zammit said.
Once a week, a professional carer visits the patient at home, allowing their relatives a short break.
“We will carry on providing help even when the ice bucket challenge has died out, but ideally donations will still keeping come in, because that would mean we would be able to expand our services,” she said.
She urged people to join the annual Hospice Malta fund raising walk on Friday, September 12.
“We meet at Buġibba square at 10.30pm.”
http://hospicemalta.org or call 2144 0085.