A set of actions aimed at restoration of physical and psychological state of children, parents, and medical personnel during and after treatment in the children's department of the NCI.

 

Rehabilitation (Fr. rehabilitation from Lat. re again + habilis comfortable, adjusted) in medicine is a set of medical, psychological, educational, professional, and legal measures aimed at restoring autonomy, ability to work, and health of people with limited physical and mental abilities resulting from endured (rehabilitation) or in-born (habilitation) diseases, as well as from traumas.

 

Habilitation (Lat. abilitatio from Lat. habilis comfortable, adjusted) is treatment and/or social measures in relation to disabled people, aimed at their adaptation to life.

The Project's Goal is carrying out measures directed at:

- psychological adaptation of children to medical procedures;

- psychological restoration help to children in the process of treatment;

- psychological restoration help to parents in the process of treatment;

- restoration of psychological and emotional health of the department's medical staff (preventing emotional burning-out syndrome).

 

The Project Implements:

1. "Superhero" Program.
2. Therapy by fairy tales.
3. Right-hemisphere drawing.
4. Barber-shop therapy.
5. Tea parties.
6. Visiting cultural events.
7. Support after special treatment.

1. "Superhero" Program. Superheroes are our little patients who bravely endure manual medical procedures. Those who do not cry and courageously withstand a jab receive "Superhero token". A certain number of tokens can later be exchanged for a certain gift: valor should be rewarded!  

   Also, within this program, educational master classes are given to medical staff on communicating with children.

Also, within this program, cream for local anesthesia is purchased for the department's patients.

2. Therapy by fairy tales. A group of psychologists work with the department's children under the guidance of the scientific manager of the school of therapeutic metaphore, "Dr Fairy Tale", Razida Tkach, who holds degrees in philosophy and psychology. She is a practicing psychologist, the author of nine books and of "Fairy Tale" set of associative-symbols cards based on plots and symbols of folk fairy tales.  

Therapy by fairy tales, or "fairy-tale treatment" is an actively developing trend of modern psychotherapy. You can convey knowledge, stage diagnosis and provide psychological assistance with the help of fairy tales. In therapy by fairy tales, they use therapeutic fairy tales, specially constructed stories which metaphorically tell about problems and emotions that children face.

3. Right-hemisphere drawing. Classes in spontaneous drawing with parents and medical personnel. In our case the main task is not discovering creative capabilities but providing parents and medical personnel with an opportunity to reload during the tense process of treatment.  

We all know about the two brain hemispheres. The left hemisphere is responsible for logical links, feedback, rules and stereotypes. It leads us. All through our lives we are being taught to be "left-hemispherical". Within this category of people, there are many engineers, philosophers, mathematicians, linguists. Those are people of duty, they are responsible and principled. The right hemisphere is responsible for space and images. It is responsible for our creative capabilities, it allows us to think not just with shapes but also with images. It is this hemisphere that makes our life bright and unique. Thanks to well-developed right hemisphere we can easily and quickly find ways out of most complicated situations, we begin to think creatively. The right hemisphere of our brain contains all the answers to our questions because it is connected to our subconscious and intuition.

4. Barber-shop therapy. Stylists' give parents an opportunity to keep up appearances during lengthy treatment in the department.

5. Tea parties. Evening tea parties giving parents opportunities to share their thoughts, concerns, opinions, desires.

6. Visiting cultural events. Visiting theatres, exhibitions, the delfinarium and other distracting events for children, parents and the department's medical personnel.

7. Support after special treatment. Requests are very versatile. This is why there is no single chosen direction here. We join in according to needs and capacity. If the department's doctors recommend, hippotherapy courses may be recommended for restoration of children after special treatment. Also, the Foundation helps former patients to collect money to replace components of endoprosthetics.