Press Releases

Fairy tales and art to heal children

Budapest, December 20, 2010 11:30

Magyar Telekom's Christmas gift budget is offered to ensure this year's operation of the Smile Foundation's fairy tale-, and art healing sessions organized for ill children in hospitals. This donation helps to heal - physically and mentally - 200-250 children per year who suffer from various chronic diseases and trauma and are treated in clinics in Pécs and Debrecen.

The donation enables the Smile Foundation to organize psychotherapy group sessions for children treated at the DE OEC Children Hematology and Oncology Department in Debrecen and the PTE ÁOK Neuropsychiatry Department in Pécs. Due to very limited hospital resources the program could not be organized without the Company's help. During 2011 these sessions will help 200-250 children per year in both hospitals. This is a unique opportunity for children with chronic illnesses who usually have to leave their homes, everyday lives and may become isolated from their friends.

The fairy tale therapy of Smile Foundation, that was first introduced in 2009, is very new in Hungary. The therapy helps to heal distress and fear and enriches children with a positive and joyful experience.
During hospital sessions the staff works with special therapeutic tales created for children in hospitals and additional art therapy features with the use of music or fine arts. The basis of the hospital therapy is the "Metamorphoses Tale Therapy" method, developed by Ildikó Boldizsár. Within the frame of the therapy the experts choose a tale that resembles to the ill child's actual state of mind, past experience and reflects their problems. This tale is then processed with active imagination, fantasy work, fine arts, musical instruments and conversations. The basic principle of the "Metamorphoses" tale therapy is that each situation in life has its counterpart in the tale - both the state of physical/mental illness and the path to healing - which helps these children to get to terms with their misbalanced world. The ill child finds the hero in the tale who fights the same problems and who gets stuck mentally - from which the child also suffers. The experts try to explore the relevant problems and find the root cause of misbalance in the tale and in real life. With the help of their guidance and the power of symbols they may achieve positive mental changes that may manifest in physical healing. It is especially important in the case of children who suffer from psychosomatic illnesses.
These therapy sessions do not only help children but their parents may also express their fears and desires in drawing, for which there is also a very big demand.

For further details on the work of the Foundation please visit www.mosolyalapitvany.hu

You may also support the Smile Foundation by sending Magyar Telekom's electronic Christmast to your beloved ones. By clicking on the send button you donate HUF 100 to the Foundation. Donations are collected until December 27, 12.00. midnight.
http://karacsony.t-home.t-mobile.hu/

Magyar Telekom, the leading Hungarian telecommunications service provider in the field of social responsibility, finds it important to support preventive healthcare, in particular child healthcare and to improve the quality of the relevant treatment.