Olek was born in the 34th week of pregnancy. As a premature baby, he was immediately placed in an incubator, where he spent the first two weeks of his life. – From the beginning of my stay in the hospital, I saw these characteristic stickers with hearts. They encouraged me and reminded me that this foundation has been operating for so many years and that it helped my child – recalled the mother of 15-year-old Olek.
TVN WARNER BROS. DISCOVERY IS THE MAIN MEDIA PARTNER OF THE WOŚP FINALS FOR THE 9TH TIME
The Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity is not only about auctions and collections for the purchase of modern equipment. These are primarily stories of patients who have been able to use the equipment over the 30 years of the foundation's operation.
He ended up in an incubator purchased by the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity
Olek Paprocki, who was born prematurely, spent the first two weeks of his life in an incubator purchased with funds raised by the Orchestra. Just before the upcoming 33rd Finale of the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity, the teenager's family was visited by TVN24 reporter Łukasz Wójcik.
15-year-old wants to “express his gratitude”TVN24
– Olek was born in a specialized ward in the hospital at Polna Street in Poznań, where he was cared for by doctors who were also provided with WOŚP equipment – recalled Ewa Paprocka, Olek's mother. – From the beginning of my stay in the hospital, I saw these characteristic stickers with hearts. They encouraged me and reminded me that this foundation has been operating for so many years and has helped my child, said Mrs. Ewa.
Olek takes part in the Finals as a volunteerTVN24
They started operating in their town
Mr. and Mrs. Paprocki have been volunteers of WOŚP for several years. In 2007, unexpectedly, Olek and his dad were invited to the stage during the Poznań Final. Then they collected money in front of the Poznań University of Technology and the Castle. It was there that the boy and his father were invited to tell their story.
– I remember this moment. There was stress. Dad then took me in his arms and talked about my experiences in the hospital after birth, said the 15-year-old.
An auction was also organized, which was not supposed to take place. You could win an ordinary heart, but glued by an extraordinary person – little Olek at that time. Usually, the money from the auction went to the account of the Poznań staff at the Castle. In this case, they were thrown into the 7-year-old's piggy bank. They were auctioned for PLN 300. However, the winner of the auction put PLN 100 more into the can
The whole family is involved in the collectionsTVN24
What do they advise new volunteers?
The Paprocki family was also the first to start collecting donations for the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity in their home town of Siekierki. What do those already seasoned in battles advise new volunteers?
– First of all, don't give up. Be persistent and participate in the Finals regularly. People get used to it and are happy when they see that the volunteer is there and they don't have to go all the way to Poznań, for example. This is what inspired us a few years ago to act in our town – said Bartłomiej Paprocki, the teenager's father.
Olek himself does not hide the fact that participation in the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity Finals is his proof of gratitude for the help he received as a newborn.
WOŚP 2025. Summer riot in the middle of winter
The Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity has been playing since 1993. For 32 years, the WOŚP Foundation has been supporting the Polish health care system through one-day public collections called Finals: it buys the most modern medical equipment for hospitals, runs eight nationwide medical programs, implements an educational program and promotes a healthy lifestyle and preventive activities. During 32 Finals, WOŚP collected nearly PLN 2.3 billion, which was used to purchase 74.5 thousand various medical devices. During most of the Finals, the Orchestra played to improve the quality of medical care for children. But not only that. In the last two years, the Foundation also conducted collections for adults: in 2023 for the fight against sepsis, and in 2024 – for the treatment of lung diseases. The main theme of the 33rd Finale of the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity is the safety and health of children, and is accompanied by the slogan: “We play for health!”. The collected funds will be allocated to the needs of pediatric hematology and oncology. The 33rd Grand Finale of the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity will take place on Sunday, January 26, but some traditional initiatives – such as the Warsaw Run “Count yourself with diabetes!” – will be organized on Saturday, January 25. All the most important events will be available on TVN24, TVN, TTV, on MAX, Player.pl, TVN24 GO and on the tvn24.pl portal.
Main photo source: TVN24