Besides lacing wigs and donating them to children suffering from hair loss in Albania, another goal of “Children for Children” is to support children hospitalized at the Pediatric Onco-Hematology Department of the University Medical Center of Tirana “Mother Teresa” by establishing a Recreation Center and Family Room. The main objective behind the Recreation Center is to provide these children with access to activities and games, such that they are not deprived of a normal childhood due to their illnesses. Thus, they can express themselves, cope with anxiety, develop new skills, and feel nurtured during their treatment. Moreover, the environment for parents strives to reduce the anxiety and stress they face while coping with their kids’ sicknesses. These spaces have been designed after consulting with Melanie Eisenhower and Lisa Vitlip (both Certified Child Life Specialists at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Cancer Center), Dr. Anila Godo, and Genta Çekani, the social worker at the Pediatric Hospital of Tirana’s Oncology and Hematology department.
In March, 2021, we were awarded the “Local Small Scale Project” grant from the Official Development Assistance of the Czech Republic to fund this project. The project was implemented in June-October, 2021 and was concluded on October 31, 2021. However, the inauguration of the new spaces has been postponed to a later date due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
