Children are our future. At the Emma Children's Hospital, we see every day what is needed to make that future possible. Children with a serious or chronic condition do not only need the best medical treatment. They also need to be able to develop, have fun and, together with their family, learn to cope with what illness means for their daily life.

Paediatrics has undergone enormous development in recent decades. More and more children are recovering or growing up with a condition that used to be virtually untreatable. That is wonderful progress, but also an important responsibility. Good care is not just about survival, but also about the quality of life afterwards. Can a child go back to school, play sports, build friendships and find their own place in society?

In the Emma, almost 1,100 doctors, nurses, researchers and other professionals work together towards that future. They provide highly complex academic care, conduct ground-breaking research and are mindful of the mental and social consequences of illness. In doing so, it is not only the child that is the central focus, but the entire family. After all, you never experience illness alone.

Many people feel a strong connection to the Emma outside of the hospital too. We are exceptionally grateful for our involved ambassadors and friends, including Robert ten Brink, Roxy Dekker, Johnny de Mol and many others. With their dedication, attention and enthusiasm, they help make the stay and experience of children in hospital a little more bearable and, at difficult moments, create space for distraction, fun and hope.

To continue improving this care for future generations, involvement from society is essential. The Emma was founded thanks to Amsterdammers who believed that good paediatric care is a shared responsibility. People who include the Emma in their wills are continuing that tradition. They contribute to scientific research, psychosocial support and facilities for children and their families. In doing so, they are not only investing in today's care, but above all in tomorrow's possibilities.

For me, a legacy is not just about what someone leaves behind, but above all about what someone wants to pass on. About values and ideals that are allowed to live on in the next generation. On our website, you can read how personal the connection to the Emma can be. The stories vary, but the desire to make a difference for seriously ill children unites them.

That conviction is also personal to me. My mother was a children's nurse and instilled in us from an early age that health is the most important thing of all. Her dedication to children and families taught me how valuable good care, genuine attention and closeness are. That is precisely why the work of the Emma touches me so much: every child deserves, even during illness, the best possible chances to be a child and to keep developing.

When someone includes Emma in their will, something very precious is entrusted to us. Stichting Steun Emma Kinderziekenhuis takes this responsibility extremely seriously. We ensure that every bequest is administered carefully, transparently and with respect for the individual’s wishes. On the page Leave a legacy from our website you can read how we guide you through this personally. You can also our brochure apply for a legacy to the Emma Children's Hospital.

I hope this gives you a good idea of what leaving a legacy to the Emma can mean. For the children who need our care today, but also for all the children who will rely on the Emma in the future.