The next series of summer trips we are organizing in Austria is about the city of Ybbs an der Donau and children from the Kharkiv City Council’s Municipal Children’s Clinical Hospital No. 16. Everyone is already happy and back home, so we asked the travelers about their impressions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Part of our annual rehabilitation program is available to children in remission. These are the children who have overcome serious illnesses. Boys and girls aged 7 to 17 who were supposed to go on a trip this summer had received treatment at different times, so they did not meet in the medical facility. Chief Nurse Iryna Slobodenyk and Doctor Olena Boldyreva volunteered to introduce the children to each other and accompany them for three weeks on an amazing trip to Austria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Our group was met by Dominik Schlatter, the vice-mayor of Ybbs. He and his team planned and organized all the activities for the Ukrainian children every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ybbs an der Donau, founded in 1317, is located in the Lower Austria region with a population of about 6,000 people. An interesting fact: the official flag of Lower Austria is yellow and blue, reminiscent of our national flag, but with the colors arranged vertically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ybbs is located in the Wachau Valley, which is part of the UNESCO intangible cultural heritage list. It is the only area along the Danube River with special international status and protection. So, our children had a wonderful opportunity to see incredibly beautiful places.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The group stayed in the sports center of Ybbs in several rooms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“We were met with open hearts! From day one, the care for each child was evident. It was very nice when we arrived at the school, even though it was in the evening, to feel the special attention to detail: towels, shower gels, hygiene products, toothpaste, and toothbrushes. Everything was so well thought out that there was no need to bring anything with us,” Iryna says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The sports school has a separate room where local students are taught to cook. During the visit of the Ukrainian children, the kitchen was supervised by Frau Greta. The children called her “Grandma Greta” because she took great care of the children, their appetite, and their health. And, of course, she treated them to delicious goodies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“One child’s mother wrote after her return from Austria that her child is now eating meat and demands muesli with yogurt every morning. She said it had never happened before,” Olena shares.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, when the excursion program started, the children were well-fed and wearing hats \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An important goal of rehabilitation is for the child to feel free from illness \u2013 healthy and happy. All the adults involved in organizing the vacation kept this goal in mind the whole time. And the children were just being children: with their talents and a constant thirst for life. The first introduction of our group to the locals of Ybbs was during mass when Emilia sang the song “Kvitka Ukrainy” beautifully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The group then visited a farm where the children took care of real horses for the first time in their lives. The boys and girls were taught how to handle large animals, brush their manes, braid them, and even ride. It may seem like just a farm, just horses, but in working together and caring for nature, the children blossomed \u2013 becoming more active and communicative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And then there was no stopping the boys or girls: they visited the rescue station and rode in fire trucks, went fishing with the rule of releasing the caught fish back into the water, marveled at old wooden bicycles in a museum, learned to provide first aid at the Red Cross office, swam in the pool, worked with an art therapist, and admired animals in the zoos of Vienna and near Linz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“One day, the hospital clowns from Red Noses came to our school. They put on an entertaining show. The children loved it, even though they didn’t know German. They could feel the kindness with their hearts,” adds Iryna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In addition to entertainment, the children had scheduled medical check-ups and procedures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“This year, children who had recently completed treatment or were even receiving dry chemotherapy during the trip went for rehabilitation. It was extremely important for us to monitor their health indicators and get additional consultations, so to speak, to hear an alternative opinion. This is necessary for the child’s further normal life: to be able to stay in a group, not to get sick too often, and so on. This is why regular tests are necessary. Of course, both we and the children were very anxious before the blood tests, but the clinic has professionals \u2013 the blood was drawn quickly and without tears,” Olena recalls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The children also visited dentists and received consultations from various specialists, for example, concerning possible complications in the gastrointestinal tract after undergoing chemotherapy. All recommendations were passed on to the parents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There is a special and bright story and memories of the visit to St. Martin-Karlsbach at the invitation of the mayor of this town, Martin Ritzmaier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“The mayor’s family welcomed us at their home. Their house is located on the shore of a crystal-clear lake. The children swam in the pond, sang songs, ate goodies, and danced a lot. There was a local resident, Rosa-Vita, who brought beads for our children and organized an interesting game for them: she buried the beads in the sand, and the children had to find them. If you found one, you could make a wish, and it would definitely come true. The children were delighted!” Iryna and Olena recount.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To make the wish come true, it must not be revealed to anyone. But we adults know that the children wished for something very important. All the beads were found and brought back to Ukraine \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It may seem that the vacation program was too intense and that the children did not remember much, but that is not the case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“There was the youngest boy in the group who hardly interacted with others, and somehow, it seemed to me that he wasn’t particularly impressed by the sights and events. But later, during a conversation with his mother on the phone, he described in great detail everything he had seen. He even remembered moments that not everyone would notice. Other mothers called after the children returned to Ukraine and expressed their gratitude, saying that the children had become more independent and disciplined,” Olena shares enthusiastically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“We, as doctors, are very grateful to the vacation organizers. Everything was so well thought out for children who had just recovered: a comfortable journey, an adapted and interesting entertainment program, moderate physical activities, a balance of rest and medical procedures \u2013 perfect. Thank you!” Iryna concludes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We are immensely grateful to the municipalities and residents of all the cities where our children were warmly welcomed. Sincere thanks to the Austrian volunteers and the team of the environmental organization Global 2000 for organizing and conducting cultural events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Ukrainian group gave the Austrians handmade gingerbread as a gift, and in return, they received many various gifts and even a real newspaper as a souvenir of their amazing journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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