Fireflies are a source of hope in the northern Bulgarian town of Lovech. They remind residents that the joys of summer lie just around the corner.
Starting this April, another kind of Firefly will be bringing hope to Lovech residents as well. With help from the America for Bulgaria Foundation and private donors, the children’s ward at the local hospital was refurbished and acquired new medical equipment. Officially opened on April 11, the remodeled ward will now be called Firefly, in a nod to locals’ favorite harbinger of summer.
Firefly is also the name that Za Dobroto Foundation has given its longstanding effort to upgrade the physical environment in children’s hospitals and improve pediatric care in Bulgaria. A group of seven dedicated women working together since 2019, Za Dobroto (“For the Good”) has refurbished seven children’s wards around the country to date.
The women’s untiring work and the backing of hundreds of corporate and individual donors have converted the wards into nurturing spaces for young patients and their caregivers while also securing safer working conditions for hospital staff.
In 2023, Za Dobroto joined forces with ABF to extend the reach of Firefly. The Foundation’s financial support, coupled with its experience revitalizing Pirogov Children’s Hospital, will guarantee that an enriching, healing atmosphere is accessible to a greater number of children in Bulgaria. Two children’s hospitals have been refurbished as a result of this partnership, in Lovech and in Veliko Tarnovo, which opened in February, with a third one — the children’s ward in the Dobrich hospital — on its way.
Photography: Vanya Karadjova
