It can be hard for a young person to adapt to becoming an in-patient at Sainte-Justine. But thanks to the support of the Gustav Levinschi Foundation, art therapy workshops have been organized so that hospitalized children and teenagers can enjoy precious moments that do not revolve around their illness.
For many, these workshops became a refuge, a unique space for self-expression, and something to look forward to.
- 33 workshops attended by an average of 20 patients culminated in an inspiring exhibition.
- Three-quarters of the participants were patients from Sainte-Justine’s Centre intégré en troubles de la conduite alimentaire (CITCA), specializing in eating disorders.
- The workshops, led by an art therapist, were also attended by a facilitator who offered assistance based on the patients’ specific needs.
In addition to the art therapy workshops, dance programs for children with disabilities were introduced at the Centre de réadaptation Marie Enfant (CRME) seven years ago.
Thanks to the success of these programs and with the generous support of TD Bank Group, this year saw the launch of the Libre de danser project, the first-ever adaptive dance training program aimed at teachers across the province, among others.
- This free online course will cover the fundamentals of inclusion in dance class.
- Five hundred clinical and community professionals will be trained.
- Thanks to this project, an estimated 2,500 young people living with a disability will have the opportunity to take part in dance classes that have been inaccessible to them until now.
Every year, children’s paths towards recovery are profoundly changed thanks to donations from organizations like the Gustav Levinschi Foundation and TD, which care deeply about patients’ well-being.
“In my dance class, I’ve learned to express my emotions freely through movement. I’ve learned how to go beyond the limits I thought I had, or those I’d unknowingly imposed on myself. Now I know that being in a wheelchair doesn’t mean that I can’t move—I’ve learned to move parts of my body that I never would’ve thought I could!”