For the 7th consecutive year, Ansell Portugal employees united to participate in a community project called “A Piece of Cake for A Cause.” This year, their goal was to raise funds to support a 3-year-old child named Isa who suffers from a rare and highly disabling disease.
A Piece of Cake for A Cause
Each year, Ansell Portugal team is challenged to put on their chef’s hats and bake a cake for a charity sale held in the plant cafeteria. Each individual homemade slice sells for 50 euro cents. This year, the team collected more than 3500 euro! At the end of the calendar year, employees were invited to elect a cause to benefit with the proceeds of this bake sale. This seemingly simple project has resulted in making a difference to many individuals in the community.
This Year’s Cause: Helping Isa Be More Mobile
Isa was born on 30th May 2016 and had a normal development until she was 10 months old. By that time, Isa could sit, was already saying “mum” and “dad,” was laughing and loved playing with her brother. Isa had her first fever in April 2017 with no associated symptoms. Her body temperature never dropped and three days later, she and her family had the darkest day of their lives. Isa had her first convulsion with continuous symptoms which, unfortunately, increased. Isa was in the intensive care unit for 52 days and warded for additional two months. The diagnostic was hard and only defined after FIRES (Febrile Infection-Related Epilepsy Syndrome) exclusions. The odds for Isa to survive FIRES is only ten percent. The prognosis of a FIRES disease is very restricted which causes serious motor and cognitive impairments. Isa’s family was told that Isa would be very “fragile.” She will never walk or speak. The family felt the “FIRES” had burned everything and left their beautiful girl with a serious brain atrophy.
Safety & Protection: A Custom-Designed Automotive Chair
With the donations raised by “A Piece of Cake for A Cause,” Ansell Portugal ordered a specifically-designed automotive chair for Isa. After waiting six months for the chair to be completed, in the first week of June 2019, Ansell employees welcomed Isa and her mother to the plant to receive the new, custom-made gift. With Ansell’s help, Isa finally exchanged her standard automotive chair and started using a personalized chair, adjusted to her needs. This chair has a head and foot support within a specifically structured seat. Now, Isa can travel easily, ergonomically, and most importantly, safely. "Ansell means more than just safety. Production is literally at the heart of everything we do," and it shows in every single collaborator at Ansell Portugal.
