Toni Kroos (25) is a man of many talents. Football is of course one of them. His passes are things of precision, his shooting often highly praised. But Kroos doesn’t stop there; there’s something else which perhaps suits him even better. When asked about his most distinctive quality, Kroos once answered, "I believe I’m a good dad. That’s the most important thing!" The best evidence for this claim is of course his son Leon, now almost two years old.
Yesterday, the Germany international posted on Facebook that there would be an important announcement about a new arrival at the Kroos household today, but refrained from providing any further details. Fans speculated feverously about the possible announcement, and more than a few harboured the suspicion that dad-of-one Toni would soon become a dad-of-two.
This assumption was in fact wrong, but also slightly true. Kroos’ wife Jessica isn’t pregnant, but Kroos did in a sense present a new baby. The 25-year-old has founded a charity, with which the world champion wants to help sick and terminally ill children – The Toni Kroos Foundation. "I’ve been a father myself of a healthy child for almost two years, but I can kind of imagine how it must be to care for a child full-time," said Kroos at the presentation of his foundation in Cologne. The Toni Kroos Foundation will give support to, amongst others, two chosen projects – the children’s hospital Amsterdamer Straße in Cologne and the children’s hospice Regenbogenland in Düsseldorf. "We want to look after the parents who have given up their lives to care for their children, but also to fulfil the wishes of those children," said Kroos. This care will come in many forms – children’s dreams will be made reality, finances made available for specialist therapies, parents will be helped out with various daily tasks. Even the siblings of the ill children will be thought of, through leisure opportunities which could perhaps also fulfil some children’s wishes.
Hospital visit as inspiration
For a long time now Toni Kroos has always wanted to help others. He realised this back in December 2014 after the Germany international visited the Universitario La Paz hospital in Madrid with a delegation of his club Real Madrid. “It appeared to me that my foundation should take care of very ill kids and their families. The joy of the children and their parents were very touching,” said Kroos.
Since supporting the relatives of sick children Kroos has identified certain needs. “In our society there are not many ways to help a family with a very ill child. For many parents there is a fine line between a children’s hospital or a children’s hospice, daily routines and therapy.” This is where Kroos wants to step in. “The parents have to deal with these situations and reach their limits on a financial and emotional front. The diagnosis can happen so fast and it can quickly change a life. This is the problem that my foundation would like to end.”
His friends and family work for his foundation. His wife Jessica is on the board while his social committee features ambassadors like “Pur” singer Hartmut Engler, dog trainer Martin Rütter and of course his Brother Felix Kroos. Kroos considers the foundation to be of vital importance. He did not create it just to add something to his name and donate money, but he also wants to be personally involved. “The foundation is close to my heart. It allows me to pick the projects, witness them first hand and be active. Most importantly, the money is going where it is needed the most.