Friendship bridge

Sweden-Lithuania

The Embassy of Lithuania in Sweden, which has given its sincere attention and support to Rugutė's activities, also introduced us to a Swedish man, Mr Bengt Nilsson, who is raising his little daughter Anna, who was diagnosed with leukaemia in 2000. Thus began a warm relationship with Mr. Nilsson, kindly mediated by the Swedish Lithuanian Jonė Šeštakauskaitė.

24-25 November 2007 Bengt Nilsson together with Jone Šeštakauskaite organised the Friendship Bridge Sweden-Lithuania campaign - a busload of gifts for the little sick children arrived in Lithuania. For two days in Kaunas and Vilnius, the Rugutė team and the children's hospitals were distributing gifts to the children, which were collected, carefully packed and delivered by the children from Sweden. After this visit to Lithuania, and after seeing what our sick children needed most, our Swedish friends expressed their sincere desire to continue their friendship and to contribute to Rugutė's activities through various actions.

Bengt Nilsson organises the "Festival of Joy" every four years on his farm in southern Sweden. The idea for this celebration came about when Bengt Nilsson invited the children and their families from the same ward to his homestead in 1993 to cheer up his seriously ill daughter Anna. Later on, the party became a tradition, inviting children and their families, medical staff, and supporters from children's oncology wards in hospitals in southern Sweden and elsewhere in the country. During the celebration, children play, sing, draw, and have a treat.

After a warm friendship with Rugute, this year Bengt Nilsson invited Lithuanian children with oncological diseases and their families to the "Joy Fest". Bengt Nilsson has already booked a plane for Lithuanian children to fly them to Sweden where they will have fun, play and spend a day with their friends in a way that will last a long time in everyone's memory.

“Rugutė" would like to thank Mr Nilsson and all his helpers for the warm smiles and true friendship they give to our little ones, for the understanding that Together - it's easier...