Would you like to celebrate your birthday without the usual presents, and help cure children of cancer? Just make a fundraising page for the children in our care, let your friends and family know about your decision, and ask them to support the fundraiser.
Julia Morozova has been doing so for several years, and today we talked to her about celebrating for the greater good.
Julia Morozova, psychologist, and mother of two teenagers, is a Gift of Life volunteer fundraiser.
GOL: Julia, how do you like to celebrate your birthday?
Julia: We usually celebrate my birthday just having unrestrained fun: sometimes in Austria at congresses on existential analysis, sometimes in Greece by the seaside, beneath the olive trees, and sometimes in London on our lawn, with a barbecue and live music.
We celebrate in different ways, but these last few years I’ve been sticking to the principle of “donations instead of gifts”. In 2020, when times are tough for charities because of the coronavirus pandemic, this is more relevant than ever.
GOL: How have your friends taken the idea of raising money for children with cancer instead of buying presents?
Julia: Helping others has a special way of making us feel needed and alive. That’s why it’s so important to take part in charity events when you can.
My friends were happy to wish me a happy birthday and support the charity. They knew that the best present they could give me this year was help for the children in Gift of Life’s care. After all, hope for recovery is itself a precious gift. I am ever so grateful to my friends for this kind of support.
Julia with husband Pavel Morozov
GOL: With friends, we can talk freely and ask for help straight-out. But how can we get those who aren’t part of our circle of friends, and currently not involved with charity, to help ill children they’ve never met?
It’s human nature for it to be easier to help specific people that you can see. For example, when I support charity campaigns, I always imagine a specific child whose life can change thanks to helping from me, or from other people who care about the life of the next generation.
It’s thanks to the charity and educational materials which, fortunately, are now easily available online, that I know that children’s cancer can be cured with a high probability. But unfortunately, cancer treatment generally costs a lot of money. Still, there’s no question that it’s worth it! So I’m confident that it’s very beneficial to regularly tell people whom and how they can help. The more they know, the more they’ll help.
To support children in our care and raise funds instead of presents, create your fundraising page here.
For further help with your fundraiser email us at info@giftoflife.eu