At the Clinic of Pediatric Oncohematology - Plovdiv all together - medical team, children and mothers, art therapist under the ARTON Program - join forces and enthusiasm to carry out a crazy, unusual and fun project - stands to move to the tripods. The head of the clinic - Assoc. Prof. Spasova and senior nurse Karaandreeva see from other people's experience and are inspired to bring the auxiliary vehicles for their heroes to their own clinic. Another member of the team provides detailed measured and cut wood panels - from specially selected material and dimensions for the stability and safety of children. Thus, the contagious example from a Western children's hospital began to spread to Plovdiv.

The children in the clinic and the art therapist under the ARTON Program - Ivelina Petrova - take on the task of painting the panels with beautiful pictures in order to finally turn them into attractive "strollers" for the little patients.

Many different acrylic paints are used in the process, with good coating and saturated colors - for the best effect on the wood.

For weeks, with the participation of various children in the ward, as well as mothers who helpfully join the project, the art group combines colors, chooses plots, carefully paints the contours drawn by Kaka Iva. This is how stands with the fairy-tale characters Sleeping Beauty, SpongeBob, Mickey Mouse and many others appeared.

The cheerful creative project, contagious with its wit and non-standard purpose, the management of the clinic chooses not just out of the desire to make the children happy. All the attention, the commitment to provide the stands and to stimulate the patients to participate in something so unexpected and fun, shows open love and sense of the subtlest children's sensitivity, human understanding and empathy for the natural children's impulses for freedom and fun. In the general plan of treatment, specialists emphasize the quality of life of their patients, providing them with conditions and opportunities, even in a hospital, to experience a sense of normalcy, joy and freedom.

In the strict hospital environment, where uniformed, often concerned adults pass quickly in the corridors, children are given the opportunity to ride on their tripods - as if in wheelchairs, to drive their vehicles, saving effort in walking and to rejoice in their freedom to play - even during serious treatment.

This gives way to the peace, security and trust that every child in this difficult period of life, seeks and expects from adults. Thinking in one direction, implementing common bold ideas, joy and freedom of expression are the signs of true friendship, understanding and support that make healing truly successful.

During the art sessions in the collective drawing of the stands, the children have the opportunity to communicate calmly, to exchange ideas, impressions, feelings, experiences. Their shared creativity facilitates contact and each participant feels comfortable and safe to express themselves. Group creative work for many children is less frightening than individual work. Here the child is not in the center of attention, he is not fully responsible for the result of the creative process, because the whole group is the author. This gives security, protection and last but not least - the wonderful feeling of the shared presence of friends. For many patients, this is a great reassurance in this version of working with their peers, where they share their ideas and opportunities. In the group, children build relationships, learn trust and empathy. The art therapy conducted in this way focuses on the interaction between the participants, in the intuitive following of the rhythms, movements, pauses, activity and visual contact between everyone in the art group. The whole art room with the many materials and all the artists in it are involved in a common interaction, which, along with the painting of the stands, turns imperceptibly into a therapeutic and renewing experience.

After many days of creative work, the stands are ready. They are about to undergo special additional treatment for resistance by the art therapist and their installation by a specialist on the tripods themselves. We will keep you informed when the vehicles are already in active use, safe and stable, for every little hero who wants to ride or drive alone.

We will share more similar news - for the inspiration of more colleagues, for the joy of more children,

for examples of kindness that brings us all so much light!