PhD István Lelkes had run a foundation from 1990 until his death to help disadvantaged children in their studies. The foundation would like to continue the work of preserving his memory. Its primary purpose is to help talented disadvantaged children who are living in difficult financial circumstances in their further education.
With our support we primarily cover all the costs that are related to their education, furthermore we provide a counseling service for those children and their parents who need this.
For a smart and talented child it is a huge motivation, if he/she has the opportunity to carry on with his/her studies in the best institutions. Therefore the Foundation would like to provide financial support for disadvantaged but talented children. The student who is selected by the Foundation will get support mainly in higher education, during his/her studies for 5 years. The grant would cover all the possible tuition and living expenses as well. The Foundation’s aim is to build educational and professional relationships in the interest of the primary target. The Foundation would like to get in touch with secondary schools, where teachers become familiar with the operation of the process, so we can select those children who meet the criteria. Furthermore we would like to help in children protection and to support disadvantaged children as mentioned.
He was born in Zenta -which is the part of the present Yugoslavia – in 20.11.1943.
In 1945 he moved to Kondoros with his parents, then in 1949 to Kiskunhalas. In 1951 he had started his studies in elementary school, because his father got a job in Kaposvár. He had finished here his elementary studies and then was studying in Táncsics Mihály secondary school, between 1958-1962. In 20.06.1962 he graduated with excellent result.
Between 1962-1964 he was working as laboratory assistant and operating room nurse. In 1964 he was admitted to the Medical University of Pécs.
From 1967 he was working as a nurse again and after 1971 he went back to the Medical University. He finished his medical studies at the Semmelweis Medical University in 1975.
As an excellent sportsman he was very good in high jump.
1976-1978 Kun Street Hospital, Plastick Surgery, Budapest
1978-1981 Bergneustadt Surgery, Germany
1981-1984 Research associate Cologne University of Medicine and Oral Surgery
1985-1988 Surgeon Mathilda Hospital Herford
1988-1993 Dental studies at Mainz Johannes Gutenberg University
1994 – leadership in cosmetic institutions in Cologne, Bonn and Recklinghausen. He has retired as a plastic surgeon.
As a pensioner he moved back to Hungary to Balatonboglár. His main hobbies were sailing and fishing.
His father István Lelkes died in Kaposvár in 1982. His mother, our grandmother is still alive, she is 102 years old.
He has three children. Jolán Lelkes, who was born in 1978, Cristiane Hofman, who was born in 1982 and Laure Lelkes who was born in 2001. He was a real polymath. He did his work with a lot of love and humility. He had always liked life, the people and always wanted to help selflessly to anybody.
In 1978 the Head of the Department in the hospital wrote the following about him: “His work is carried out with great care and thoroughness, and has a good relationship with his patients and colleagues. “
My name is Jolán Lelkes. I would like to tell you why my father established this Foundation, and why I am carry on with it.
I was born in Budapest in 13.05.1978. I grew up at my grandparents, who were the parents of my mother. My grandparents were very nice people. I had a very good childhood with them. My relationship with my mother was never too good, I have never lived with her, and I did not know anything about my father for a long time. Obviously I have realized it very early, that I do not have normal parents, and it was very difficult to experience and to accept this as a child. Because a child thinks strait away, why my parents do not like me, what did I do wrong, why they are not with me. I remember I sat many times in our gate, and I was writing down the license plate numbers of the cars which past by (that time there were not so many cars). When somebody asked me why I am doing this, I answered: I am sure in one of them is my Dad and will come to pick me up.
This deep longing encouraged me to investigate after my father, when I was 18 years old. I really wanted to find him. For 7 year I did not find any information about him except his name, but I did not give up. It was a very difficult time, but I knew I am going to find him. One day in 2005 I received great new: WE FOUND HIM!!!
My dream came true when I met my father in 2008. It was an incredible feeling, when I was standing in the street, and he was walking towards me, and I knew it is him. It is very important the mention, that he did not know about my birth, because of the defection he had to leave the country and my mother could not tell him about me.
He had no doubt that he just got a 30 years old daughter out of the sudden. This was followed by a long legal procedure, DNA test, court and so on. At the end of this I was officially register as his daughter with age 30, by the name Jolán Lelkes. This was the most beautiful day of my life. It is incredible how someone can change after she finds out who are her real parents. It gave me such a safety and power, just to know that he is here eventually, which changed my character a lot as well.
From this point started the real daughter father love. Every day what we spent together was a great experience. At the beginning we met just once a week, to get used to this new situation, after that every second day. Later we moved closer to each other, so we could spend more time together.
We got five wonderful years together, because my Dad had a heart attack in April 2013. Even that we had tried everything, three days after the surgery in 18 May 2013 he died.
I think I still cannot accept that he is not with me anymore, because I had too much time without him. I still believe that he will come back one day to hug me and comfort me if I am sad and love me unconditionally. I have never blamed God! I will be thankful in my whole life for those 5 years I could spend together with this wonderful man.
His death does not exist for me. This Foundation gives me the opportunity to keep his memory, personality and selflessness alive. Many times he told me what would be if…., yes…..many people can say that. What if I know him from the beginning, if I live abroad with him, I can study there and go to university etc.
He told me many time what I could be if he is with me from the beginning. I could live in wealth and safety. Yes, that is true, but it is unnecessary to think about this. I am thankful for everything what I got in my life. My grandparents were very nice people and I had a happy childhood. They loved me and supported me. It is true we were very poor and did not have money for anything. It was full of struggle, I could not go to university, I had to work early and destitution was part of my everyday life. However, that is the past and we always should look in to the future.
There are many clever and talented young people in this country who are alone, because of different reasons. We would like to help them, because I know how good it feels if someone standing next to us when we need it.
I keep the memory alive with this Foundation of a wonderful man, who was my father, called PhD István Lelkes.
I know there will be many young people I can give hope and strength, not just with my life story, but financially as well. With this I would like to keep my father’s memory alive forever.
When I was a child, I had dreamed many times about a well-doer who would come to help us. We had a very difficult time during my childhood. However, when I think back, I remember I was happy for a while. Until I left our village and had to realize, we do not have money for anything.
On the 20th high school reunion I was asked what do I remember of these times. I answered: I never could go in a shop to buy anything, as I did not have the money for it. It was true. It was a difficult time, because I could not see the way out of this situation. Since I am 18 I have been working and learning. I have made many mistakes and I never felt really well. Nonetheless I never gave up one thing. The search to find where I came from and who I am. Now I know. I had luck, because I am a believer and I felt some unearthly strength in myself.
But back to our mission – I like to call it like this. I would like to help many children who are in similar circumstances. Those, who feel lost, who know they can do more, who would like to do something for themselves, and even they do not have such a big faith, but if someone comes to help them, they can do it with a little help. The only barrier is that they do not have the money for it. We all know we cannot live without money nowadays.
I am sure there are many clever and talented children in this country. Many of them are alone, but it is not there fault. Many of them live in difficult circumstances, where even the parents would like to support their children, but they cannot.
In my personal experience, if we can help someone like this, he/she can get such a motivation and strength for life. However, without it he/she would be lost. I would like to help them, because I believe, that our country’s future depends on them. They are our future too!
Chairman of the board of trustees: Jolán Lelkes
Phone: + 36 30 737 4551
E-Mail: kapcsolat@ligya.hu
Address: Fő street 38., Ordacsehi H-8635, Hungary
Mailing Address: Miklós square 1., Budapest H-1035, Hungary