Cancer treatment is a long process, it can take from several months to several years. Over the months of treatment, the child forgets how to communicate with peers outside the hospital, changes in appearance associated with treatment give rise to complexes and self-doubt. This does not disappear when doctors pronounce the cherished word "remission" and discharge the child from the hospital.
Our foundation has been helping children who have completed treatment cope with the consequences of the disease for 13 years already. This year we launched a new rehabilitation project, which, in addition to working with a psychologist, uses hippovention – communication with horses in specially created conditions. Hippovention is a scientifically proven method of psychological rehabilitation, which has been used in Europe since the 90s. Training for hippovention trainers takes about a year and consists of three stages.
In March, the foundation sent two employees with a background in psychology to the first stage of training at the Russian Academy of Therapy and Training with Horses. This has already had a tangible effect: we conducted the first rehabilitation shift in the foundation's history with hippovention for 8 teenagers who had completed cancer treatment. Families and psychological tests conducted by us at the beginning and end of the shift prove the effectiveness of working with horses: the children's anxiety level has decreased, but their self-perception and self-esteem have significantly improved.
From July 1, we are launching a new rehabilitation shift for children aged 9-12. Also in June and September, the foundation's employees need to complete two more stages of training at the Russian Academy of Training and Therapy with Horses. Please support our project. Together we can help the children overcome not only the disease, but also its consequences