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25 years of clinic clowns in Saarland: joy and hope for children!
Clinic clown Lolek is celebrating 25 years in Merzig, enriching children through circus workshops and strengthening their self-confidence.
25 years of clinic clowns in Saarland: joy and hope for children!
In Saarland, clinic clowns have been bringing joy and hope into the lives of little patients for 25 years. A particularly emotional moment recently occurred at the SHG Klinik Merzig, where Dr. Ali Suleiman observed the excitement of a girl with a curly ponytail writing a greeting in a photo album. This moment in life exemplifies the positive impact that clowns like Lolek have on children who need support in difficult times. Lolek is an integral part of the clinic and will soon be celebrated for his impressive 25-year commitment to the SHG clinic, as the Saarbrücker Zeitung reports.
Therapy through play and joy is a proven method that is also used in the SHG day clinic for child and adolescent psychiatry and psychotherapy in Merzig. A circus workshop for the little patients was recently held here, led by Henning Leidinger, clinic clown and cultural educator. The workshop, which lasted a week, gave the children the opportunity to improve their juggling and balancing skills. Despite the restrictions caused by the corona pandemic, which meant that a final gala in front of guests could not take place, the children showed their tricks in small groups. 13-year-old Fabian juggled four turntables and 11-year-old Lilli impressed with unicycle and tightrope dancing skills, like the SHG Clinics reported.
Therapeutic success through creative play
Henning Leidinger notes that the workshop sees the children in a different light and learns important techniques that contribute to improved self-confidence. Therapist Luisa Geibel emphasizes that the children's behavior changed positively after the workshop. The initiative not only represents an interesting change, but was also designed as an intensive therapeutic offer to give every child access and to promote their abilities.
The workshop was a gift from Kinderhilfe Saar e.V. for the 20th anniversary of the collaboration with the SHG in Merzig. Henning Leidinger, who originally started out as a clinic clown, not only visits the clinic, but also future patients in Saarbrücken, Homburg and Saarlouis. The idea for introducing hospital clowns in the region comes from Dr. Dietmar Krämer, the former chief physician of the children's clinic, returns. In 2000, the role of clinical clowns was still rare, but with the support of Krämer and Margarita von Boch, the importance and professionalism of this approach was significantly increased.