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This wasn’t planned. But it’s growing.
Over the past weeks, something started here that I didn’t fully expect.
What began as a simple question — asking designers if it would be okay to print their models for children in pediatric oncology — slowly turned into something much bigger.
People said yes.
Designers shared their work.
Prints started coming off the machines.
And step by step, something real began to take shape.
Not planned.
Not structured.
Just growing through the people involved.
The idea behind “Pieksekisten” is simple.
Children going through treatment often spend a lot of time in situations that are anything but easy.
And sometimes, a small object — something to hold, to play with, to focus on — can make those moments just a little bit better.
That’s where all of this is leading.
Over the past days, another shift happened.
More people joined.
More ideas came in.
And it became clear that this could go beyond just a few prints.
Something is forming in the background right now.
And today, it’s live.
The Pieksekisten Design Contest is now officially open.
Together with MakerWorld, we’re opening this up to more creators.
You can explore it here and follow along as it grows:
https://makerworld.com/en/contests
We’re opening this up in a way that allows more creators to become part of it —
not as a typical competition,
but as something that connects what we create with real moments.
Not about winning.
Not about numbers.
But about creating things that actually reach someone, somewhere, when it matters.
I’ll share more as this continues to grow.
For now, I just wanted to show you where this is going.
—
If you want to follow how this evolves:
Forum thread
Website
https://thores-pieksekisten.de/
https://www.instagram.com/thore_medulloblastom_kaempfer
(Edited)
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@MakerWorld : This journey from a heartfelt question to a community movement is so inspiring 💛 Proud to turn this beautiful initiative into a model design contest—every creation can help bring warmth and care to children in need. Can’t wait to launch with you on April 2, and to see our maker community shine together for good!
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@no_one______ : : yup : )
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@JamesDaRock : : That’s honestly incredible 😳❤️
But what makes this really special is seeing how many people are coming together — big and small contributions alike.
This is what makes the project what it is 🙏
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@Alkem : This morning, I went to the pediatric emergency department at a hospital in Lyon to test decorative accessories for IV stands.
I was welcomed with a big smile. There are still a few small adjustments to make to the model, but I should be posting it very soon as part of this initiative, which I think is truly wonderful.
Having spent quite a bit of time in hospitals myself, I know how austere that environment can sometimes feel. That is why I find this initiative especially meaningful and important.
Thank you for this initiative. I should be sharing my contribution to this amazing project very soon.
And thank you again for launching it.
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@JamesDaRock : : That’s really helpful, thank you for taking the time to explain this in detail.
The fact that you can easily adapt the model makes it even more valuable for real-world use. This is exactly the kind of thinking that helps a lot in practice.
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@Alkem : : From my side, during my check at the pediatric emergency department in Lyon, the IV stands we looked at were indeed around 25 mm for the main outer pole and around 19 mm for the telescopic section. So at least locally, those two diameters do match the ones I based my design on.
That said, after looking into it a bit more, 25 mm seems to be very common for the main pole, but I’m not sure it can really be considered a strict worldwide standard. The inner telescopic section seems to vary more depending on the model or manufacturer.
In any case, that’s not a problem on my side: I designed the support myself, so I can very easily adjust the inner diameter if needed. If a hospital uses a slightly different pole diameter, I can adapt the model accordingly.
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@user_2801793222 : Vielen Dank für dieses besondere Projekt und Engagement. Es ist wirklich schön zu sehen, wie 3D-Druck hier genutzt wird, um etwas Positives zu bewirken und anderen eine Freude zu machen. Ich habe mich gern mit eigenen Modellen beteiligt und hoffe, dass noch viele weitere kreative Beiträge aus der Community dazukommen. Solche Aktionen zeigen, was gemeinsam möglich ist.
Alles erdenklich Gute!
The poster has replied
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@JamesDaRock : Vielen Dank dir für die schönen Worte!
Genau dieses gemeinsame Miteinander macht das Projekt aus.
Wenn du Lust hast, eigene Modelle beizusteuern, bist du jederzeit willkommen – wir freuen uns über jeden Beitrag aus der Community.
Und selbst solche Kommentare wie deiner tragen schon dazu bei, das Ganze weiterzutragen.
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@Kh_designz : Working on a gear fidget now, hope it helps and can make someone happy
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@JamesDaRock : That’s exactly how this project started too — not planned, just growing step by step.
Really appreciate you putting your time and ideas into this.
If it brings even one small moment of joy, it’s already worth it 🙏
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@dtm247 : @JamesDaRock Thank you so much for sharing this and for putting such genuine purpose behind it. Seeing how this started with a simple question and has now grown into something meaningful is truly inspiring. I really appreciate the chance to be part of something that brings comfort and joy to kids who need it most.
The poster has replied
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@JamesDaRock : Thank you 🙏
That truly means a lot.
It started small, and people like you are what turn it into something real.
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@JamesDaRock : #Pieksekisten #HostedByU #HostedByCreator #Community #Contests
📢 Our first External Printing Campaign has started!
Many of you asked whether it would be possible to support the Pieksekisten project by printing models.
The answer has always been yes—but only through a coordinated process.
Today we've opened our first external printing campaign.
If you'd like to print models for children at the pediatric oncology ward, we'd love to hear from you.
Simply visit our External Printing Support topic, choose one of the requested models and submit your application.
👉 https://forum.bambulab.com/t/pieksekisten-external-3d-printing-support/255052
Printing starts only after confirmation, allowing us to coordinate quantities and avoid unnecessary overproduction.
Thank you to everyone who would like to support the children. ❤️
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@Flakey.1 : nice to see this community not be silent about this nice to have you in the community
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@JamesDaRock : Thank you — that really means a lot.
Seeing people care, speak up, and support something like this is honestly one of the most unexpected and appreciated parts of all of it 💛
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@JamesDaRock : We received a lot of helpful questions and suggestions over the past days, so we took some time to improve how parts of the project are documented.
Most of the feedback was about clarity:
Who designed what?
What is approved for use?
Where do links lead?
Which materials were used?
So we cleaned that up.
The designer section now includes clearer profile, credit, and permission links.
The 3D print gallery now includes better material info and direct links back to the original models.
Nothing major — just a structural update, but an important one.
Image 1 shows the updated designer overview.
Image 2 shows the updated gallery structure.
Image 3 shows the expanded print cards.
Image 4 shows the updated designer detail view.
A lot of this came directly from community feedback, and that’s exactly how this project keeps improving 💛
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@Br3n_65432 : It ma(kes)de people happy
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@Br3n_65432 : : yeah
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@JamesDaRock : Honestly, that was never the plan.
But seeing how something as small as a printed piece can make people smile is exactly why it kept growing.
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@JamesDaRock : Quick update as we’re heading into the final days of the contest.
Some of the models are already being used in the hospital now —
and one thing became very clear:
There’s a big difference between something that looks good
and something that actually works in real life.
The designs that had the strongest impact were not the complex ones.
They were simple, friendly, and instantly understandable.
Kids react to them immediately.
Some even asked if they could take them home.
Staff asked for more — especially animals and simple characters.
For IV stand attachments, simple and stable designs worked best.
In some cases, hanging versions might even be better.
So for the last days:
Don’t think “more complex” —
think:
What makes a child smile instantly?
What works without explanation?
What holds up in everyday use?
It’s not about perfect designs.
It’s about the right ones.
Seeing your work already being used like this
that’s what really matters.
Thank you all for being part of this 💛
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