A day for true heroes

September 5, 2019 was a day for real superheroes – big and small, fictitious and real. The mission of Batman, Spiderman and Co.: to give WPE patients, relatives and staff a super-strong day. Because true heroes wear not always costumes.

A serious illness and a therapy often far away from home – especially for the youngest patients at the West German Proton Therapy Centre, clinical everyday life is associated with enormous challenges. These are challenges that the little ones master heroically. This was reason enough for the psychosocial team to set up the first superhero day at WPE together with the association “Helden für Herzen” (heroes for hearts). The initiative for this came directly from the house: Yvonne Nagel from the WPE outpatient team made contact with the cosplayers from Alsdorf, who have been entertaining sick children with their fantastic costumes since 2014.

On September 5, the superheroes from comics and film actually met the superheroes from real life – patients, family members and employees of the house. Nicole Stember, a qualified social pedagogue from the Psychosocial Service of the WPE: “Despite all the necessary seriousness of clinical everyday life, it is important for everyone involved simply to let go, laugh together and have fun. And the superheroes offered us a great opportunity.”
And so at the beginning of September the work and everyday clothes were spiced up with one or two superhero accessories: Batman, Spiderman, a real fairy-tale princess, Pippi Longstocking and Phoenix from the X-Men took part in the superhero photo shoot. The button machine set up in the foyer, a painting and design table and prizes for all those who took up the challenge and competed against the superheroes in small competitions provided a lasting memory. By the way, the prizes were provided by real experts in comic heroes: Movie Park Germany and Gamescom. Nicole Stember: “It was a great day for all of us. But especially for the children, who show great courage and incredible personal strength every day during their therapy at WPE”. And Prof. Dr. med. Beate Timmermann, Medical Director of the WPE, adds: “On behalf of all families and patients we would like to once again express our heartfelt thanks for the great honorary support provided by the association “Helden für Herzen” and the WPE colleagues who made this beautiful day possible”.

Further information: www.heldenherzen.de