Adriana Lima inaugurates a new library in a hospital

The extension was made possible by the proceeds from an auction in November 2014, when the sale of an IWC platinum watch raised 40,000 francs. Thanks to the commitment of IWC, which realized the project together with the Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Youth Foundation, hospitalized children and young people can now take a break from the everyday life of an inpatient and have an inviting space in which to meet family and friends.

The Pequeno Príncipe children’s hospital is a respected centre specializing in highly complex heart operations, organ and bone transplants and the treatment of cancer. It treats children from all over Brazil as well as neighbouring countries. Around 19,000 operations are carried out here every year. The hospital also treats around 319,000 outpatients and admits another 24,000 as inpatients annually. About 70 per cent of the hospital’s capacity is reserved for patients who are eligible for treatment under Brazil’s universal free health service. This means low-income families are also able to benefit from the hospital’s outstanding health care services.

Sicks children wanted a place where they could meet up with each other or their families and friends. This new library answers their wishes. Selected books, computers and e-books will allow young patients to discover the joy of reading and culture, and take pleasure in constructive leisure time activities. The new library now offers more than one thousand books, while four mobile library carts will grant access to books even to those patients who cannot leave their beds.

April 23, 2015