Healing through football

MILAN – The Inter Campus Italy season has begun again with the initiative “Giocare Aiuta a Guarire Meglio” (EN: “Playing Helps to Quicken the Healing Process”), something which is run together with the non-profit association Comitato Maria Verga and seeks to help children at the Monza Hospital in Italy.

Saturday 6 and Saturday 27 October were the dates on which the first matches and training sessions of the season were held at the Suning Youth Development Centre. Over 30 young boys and girls in the process of healing or already healed from childhood leukemia and lymphomas took part alongside their siblings.

During the first get-together, each child received the new Nerazzurri shirt – something they had been hoping for – and got to parade it in front of the audience present. Also there was a group of players from the Under-15, Under-16 and Under-17 Elite Academy teams: despite their differing situations, both the children and the players were an example to each other in terms of commitment and perseverance.

Last Saturday, an extremely fun training session took place in the gym of the Istituto Achille Ricci despite there being limited space. Not even the rain could dampen the energy of our children and their desire to come back and play more football!

Dr. Momcilo Jankovic, known as Dottor Sorriso (Dr. Smile), greeted the families and reminded them of the importance of these children taking part in sport, not only to have fun, but also because physical activity releases substances within the body which contribute to the healing process.

06.11.2018