# Sixteen years, *step by step*.

> Source: https://decaohz.org/en/achievements.html
> What we have fought for and won since 2010 — the Golden Ribbon day centre, medicines and anaesthesia for medical procedures, school in the hospital, camps, the St. Stylianos Rehabilitation Centre.

Achievements

Everything we have achieved has been funded by donations and built on the unpaid work of our founders and volunteers. Here are the most important milestones — year by year.

![A girl receives a medal at the award ceremony of the Winners’ Games](https://decaohz.org/assets/img/p/medal-1460.webp)

1. 2010 — **The association is founded** — By parents of children with oncohaematological diseases, their relatives and allies — with the mission that no family should be left alone.
2. 2011 — **The first 15 February** — Since then we have marked International Childhood Cancer Day every year — with a call for the best treatment, for support and for a return to normal life.
3. 2013 — **The Golden Ribbon opens its doors** — On 15 February — the first and only centre in Bulgaria supporting children with oncohaematological diseases, next to the children’s clinic at UMHAT “Tsaritsa Yoanna – ISUL”. The same year, we took children to the International Winners’ Games for the first time.
4. 2013–16 — **The medicines that were missing** — Through donations we provided the hospitals in Sofia, Plovdiv and Varna with funds for the medicines in the treatment protocols that the National Health Insurance Fund did not pay for. After persistent work, today they are paid for by the Children’s Treatment Fund.
5. 2014 — **“Shtom si s men” and the sports ground** — On 15 February the song („Щом си с мен“, “As long as you are with me”), created on our initiative, was released, and its video has been viewed more than 60,000 times. On 1 June we opened a 2-decare sports ground — a sports pitch, playgrounds and an outdoor gym.
6. 2015 — **An end to pain without anaesthesia** — Until 2015 the extremely painful bone marrow aspiration was done without anaesthesia. Today, if the child and the parents wish, it is done under general anaesthesia. The same year, the summer recovery camps began.
7. 2015–17 — **A profession after the illness** — Under the Erasmus+ programme — with partners from Austria, Greece, Spain and the University of Santiago de Compostela — we trained career counsellors to work with young people who have survived cancer.
8. 2017 — **“School without borders” („Училище без граници“)** — A project for teaching children during their treatment — with teachers and with the “Ucha se” platform („Уча се“ — “I’m learning”), for the children in the clinics in Sofia, Plovdiv and Varna.
9. 2018 — **Breaking ground** — On 27 March we signed the funding agreement for the Rehabilitation Centre, and in April construction began. On 27 June the new children’s playground at the “Tsaritsa Yoanna – ISUL” hospital was opened.
10. 2019 — **Our own sports games** — The association began organising its own sports games for children who have beaten cancer.
11. 2020 — **St. Stylianos opens its doors** — On 14 September — the first rehabilitation centre for children with oncohaematological diseases in Bulgaria and the Balkans. Since then, more than 100 families have received free rehabilitation.
12. 2025 — **The first Balkan Sports Games** — From 19 to 21 September in Panagyurishte — more than 60 children and young people from Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey who have overcome an oncohaematological disease. The children also left the town the “Treasure” graffiti („Съкровище“).
13. 2026 — **The second games — five countries** — More than 70 children from Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey, Croatia and Serbia. In June the Asian Festival in Sofia was dedicated to the association.

## The next step depends on you, too.

Everything so far — through donations and the work of volunteers.

[Help](https://decaohz.org/en/how-to-help.html)