At the Ex Stac of Catanzaro the exhibition was inaugurated Stories of extra-ordinary normalityan initiative that places the experiences of people at the centre small patients of the department of Pediatric Hematoncology of the University Hospital Company Renato Dulbecco. The project was created to give a voice to children, adolescents and families who face the challenge of the disease on a daily basis, transforming pain into a narrative journey made of colours, photographs and words.
The value of storytelling
The exhibition is part of a broader dialogue with the national exhibition The beauty of imperfection, underlining how the disease should not be the center of the person’s identity, but only the context in which the desire for an authentic, daily life continues to flourish.
The director of the Pediatric Hemato-Oncology Society, Dr Maria Concetta Galatihighlighted how the initiative faithfully represents the complex psychological journey of families, explaining that the objective of the department is to help children remain children and not just patients. In this context, emotional expression becomes a tool of resistance and healing.
A fundamental contribution also came from the artist Fabio Mazzitelliwhich donated over one hundred works to the departments and actively collaborated with young people to demonstrate how art can raise a smile even in the most difficult moments.
The medical director Eulalia Galea he added that the project transforms fragility into strength, creating a real space of rebirth and recognition.
The protagonists and the direction
The real curators of the exhibition are the kids themselves, supported by the project representatives: the doctor Ilenia Sabatopsychologist and psychotherapist, and doctor Noemi Doriaphilologist expert in narrative construction.
The scientific direction was entrusted to Dr Giuseppe Raioladirector of the Maternal-Child Department and president of Acsa & Ste, who coordinated the entire methodological system based on daily listening to patients.
Giuseppe Raiola pointed out that stories like those of Giovanni, Martina and the little one Francesco they teach how to talk about the disease without being crushed by it, restoring dignity and humanity to every single experience.
Institutional synergy
The event saw a massive participation of the authorities, demonstrating the sensitivity towards the topic of humanization of care. Among those present were the prefect Castrese De Rosathe regional councilor Antonio Monturothe deputy mayor Giusy Iemma and the municipal councilor Donatella Monteverdi.
The project was carried out with the support of the company’s special commissioner Simona Carbonewho firmly believed in enhancing the work of the multidisciplinary team.
The exhibition, which enjoys numerous patronages including the Magna Graecia University and the Aieop, will remain open to the public until January 31stinviting the entire community to look at care as a choral journey of beauty and participation.