The Industrial Palace (or) The Fairytale Forest for the Children's Oncology Clinic

Artist Marie Brozova's memoir of the public drawing event of a drawing donated to children patients of the Motol hospital in Prague.

Christmas time is connected with boxes of gifts under the shining tree all children anxiously wait for. When I was small, I used to pity all those children, who had to spend their Christmas time in hospitals, and it would have been my death, if something this horrible should have happened to me. It never happened; I was lucky.

Now I know about children, who spend in hospitals not only Christmas time, but long months, sometimes even years. For these very children I decided to prepare a special Christmas gift; a colorful drawing, The Fairytale Forest, that I drew before Christmas in the Industrial Palace in the Prague Showground.

Children were so happy about my gift that they wanted to give me something in return. I was given many drawings in colored pencils that were different from those I usually get. It was obvious that these children have much more time and patience for their creative work, because their time is precious, sometimes limited. Their physical activities are limited, but they have enough space for their spiritual development.

I was very lucky to meet the people who look after their leisure time. I admired their project "Seeking the good medicine" inspired by Native American mythology. Children played Indians, that is what children of their age do, but in this case they learned how to overcome difficulties in their lives, crucial moments. This game was also designed to encourage them to look for as many possible reasons to get well from a serious illness. I was told that this kind of motivation is as important as chemotherapy in oncological patients.

Everyone should be grateful to give something to others, and I thank all those people who are devoted enough to go through the difficult process of sterilizing colored pencils and paper for children, who must stay in aseptic rooms in the transplant unit.

I am sure that colored pencils would save my life in such condition.