charity

As every year, this year too there is an action in favour of charity.

In collaboration with the City of Leuven and KU Leuven, three KU Leuven charities are working together under the motto 'Moving is living': Hippo & Friends, Healthy Heart Fund and Fonds Transplantoux.

They want to focus on scientific research into and encourage people with type 1 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and people who underwent a necessary transplant to live a healthy life. In all cases, more exercise gives people more self-confidence and has a positive effect on physical and mental health.

Your support for these charities can hopefully move thousands of people towards healthy living and boost scientific research.

The charity's stand selling the typical red candles will again be at H. Hoover Square.

Hippo & Friends type 1 diabetes fund

This fund raises awareness about type 1 diabetes, supports the quality of life of people with type 1 diabetes through the sports projects diaT1op (kids) and gives extra breathing space to scientific research into this chronic autoimmune disease. By exercising often, the body consumes more sugar and energy and blood sugar levels start to drop more easily. It also causes the body to become more sensitive to the hormone insulin. Thus, one gets more stable blood sugar levels.  Besides the direct effect on blood sugar levels, regular exercise also ensures a healthy weight, stronger muscles, less stress, and better concentration.  "Sport and exercise makes all the difference for people with type 1 diabetes," he says. Support the Hippo & Friends type 1 diabetes fund to assist all children, young people and adults with type 1 diabetes in their struggle, together we make a difference.  Learn more at www.hippoandfriends.com.

Healthy Heart Fund

As many healthy hearts and blood vessels as possible: that is the aim of the Healthy Heart Fund, which supports cardiovascular research in the broadest sense of the word. Within the alliance UZ Leuven and KU Leuven, a team of basic scientists, engineers and doctors is looking for answers to questions such as: 

• How can we motivate people to live as healthy a life as possible and exercise enough?
• How can we prevent sudden death in young people?
• How can we avoid heart and brain attacks as efficiently as possible? 
• How can we help people with congenital heart defects, with valve disease, with heart failure through the latest cutting-edge technology? 

Our ambition: to improve and optimise the quality of life of cardiac patients thanks to scientific research in the labs, personalised treatment in the hospital and information campaigns for the general public.  You can find out more about how our fund (with Professor Werner Budts as fund manager) works at www.healthyheart.be, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

Transplantoux Fund 

Fund Transplantoux focuses on adults, young adults and children who have undergone an organ or stem cell transplant or are on the waiting list.  For them, a transplant is often the only chance of survival.

The objectives of Transplantoux are:

• raise awareness about organ donation and transplantation
• Motivate transplant recipients to exercise and live healthy lives, transplant recipients are in turn ambassadors for healthy living and can express their gratitude by 'keeping their organ in shape'
• Stimulate and conduct scientific research on organ transplantation and connect movement with peers, family and friends, donor families and living donors, health professionals

Therefore, we organise activities throughout the year, at everyone's level true to our values of approachability, and inclusiveness. For 15 years, Transplantoux has been able to fulfil our ambitions thanks to the support of many donors and supporters. For more information on its operation and history, please visit www.transplantoux.be.