MORE than two months after we filmed the scenes in front of the Petrova Hospital in Zagreb, following the unprecedented earthquake that struck the capital of Croatia in the midst of the pandemic, those scenes will be replaced with new images that will once again enter every Croatian home. Almost the entire country participated in an action to return the premature babies, so-called "Palcici", to the Petrova Hospital's maternity ward that had been damaged in the morning of the earthquake.
Shortly after 6.30 AM, the supporters of the football club Dinamo, the Bad Blue Boys, were on the front line. Index's photos, taken by journalist Dea Redzic, of the supporters forming a human chain and saving expensive incubators by loading them up in military trucks and driving them to safety are much more than photos of the year of any other category. They remained the symbol of the earthquake in Zagreb and a part of the collective memory.
The good people in front of the Petrova Hospital and a couple of hundred supporters inspired thousands of people from Croatia and the world to help renew the hospital.
The "Let's Bring the Palcici Back to Petrova" action, the goal of which was to raise funds for the equipment renewal in a value of around 5.6 million kunas. The fundraiser exceeded that sum, and the action has been spreading to other Croatian hospitals, and the incubators for the premature babies, that they cannot survive without, arrived at Petrova Hospital yesterday.
A little over three months later, once again, we saw a scene to remember in front of the Petrova Hospital. In the humanitarian action, the supporters organized over four thousand auctions via social media, with the support of reporters and many athletes, from Janica and Ivica Kostelic, Zlatko Dalic, Filip Hrgovic, the Dinamo football players, etc. Football kits, like the one that Robert Jarni was wearing when he scored for the lead against Germany in the 1998 World Cup, were sold for around 50 thousand kunas. There's not a single person that was not touched by the beautiful "Lopta za Antu" action ("A Ball For Ante") in which one wonderful kid offered to sell the ball signed by Ryan Giggs, and people paid more than 120 thousand kunas so that he could keep it.
The action brought huge success - besides the Petrova Hospital, the University Hospital Merkur was also equipped, and now the story continues. On the Dinamo web page, you can buy a ticket to participate in the giveaway program for valuable sports items, such as Blanka Vlasic's outfit that she was wearing when she broke her own high jump record, Velimir Zajec's football cleats from 1982, Paul George's original uniform, and many other. The money goes directly to the account of the "Palcici," and the next step in action is equipping hospitals with portable incubators in smaller cities and hospital centers.
The "Let's Bring the Palcici Back to Petrova" fundraiser is something Croatia never had, and it's unlikely that someone will do it again. The little people with big hearts are leading this fundraiser with a ton of kindness pouring over the country borders, not just Croatia, but Europe also. The Blue Boys are always here for the "Palcici," the seventh year in a row. They are the arms that carry them to victory," said the president of the "Palcici" Association, Zeljka Vucko.