Dear friends, today we are marking the 14th anniversary since our dear Ana is no longer with us. Despite great courage and desire for life, Ana left us that Sunday morning 14 years ago, and Ana’s words prompted us to fulfill her vision of developing the Croatian Bone Marrow Donor Registry and to help establish a public Umbilical Cord Blood Bank which bears her name.
“We thank all the health workers, cleaners, nurses, doctors who watch over people’s lives day and night. Ana’s cry and desire for life have never made more sense than today, when the desire for health and life as we knew it is the desire of all of us”, said on the occasion of the sad anniversary Mrs. Marija Rukavina, Ana’s mother and director of the Ana Rukavina Foundation.
Today we remember our Ana who 14 years ago started an avalanche of good deeds in the Republic of Croatia and beyond.
Since 2006, thanks to all of you who enroll every day, we have increased the number of enrolled in the Croatian Bone Marrow Donor Registry from a modest 150 donors to more than 65,000 enrolled potential donors. Thanks to the great desire and vision of our Ana and the selfless people who decided to give a piece of themselves to help those who need it the most 125 sick people got a new chance at life.
Dear Ana thank you, you are always in our hearts and minds.