When I was five, I suddenly fell ill, and in the following days, I experienced increasingly troubling symptoms. My mother took me to the doctor, and blood had to be drawn. In the afternoon, we received a call. The diagnosis was cancer. It was a shock for all of us. I'll never forget the first night in the hospital; my dad stayed with me while my mother went home with my brother, just six weeks old at the time.

Thus began a long and challenging period. But thanks to the dedication of doctors and nurses, the love of those around me, my own determination, and a tremendous stroke of luck, I survived this terrible disease. The hospital stay was difficult, and I often felt afraid, but it also brought a sense of profound connection. It taught me how precious life is, and I feel blessed to have recovered. Today, healthy and happy, I want to give back to the children still fighting this terrible illness.

In 2020, my mother and I launched 'Buy a Find - Help a Child' as part of our jewelry brand, The Finds. This initiative is our way of supporting the Prinses Máxima Centrum, a fantastic clinic with the goal of 'curing every child with cancer, with optimal quality of life.' With our initiative, we donate 100% of the proceeds from the sale of the 'Lieve' bracelets to the Prinses Máxima Centrum, having already sold hundreds. The bracelet symbolizes unity and is crafted from 18k gold-plated circles.

With love,

Florence - co-founder of The Finds