Through wristbands, stickers, diplomas, decoration of paediatric areas, red and white gowns, bibs and activities such as ‘corridor football’ or reading clubs, the overall objective of the Supertxapeldunak project is to help our little ones in their recovery processes
Since 2014, the Athletic Club Foundation, in collaboration with Osakidetza and the Paediatric Innovation Department at Cruces University Hospital, has been developing a project in paediatric healthcare facilities in Bizkaia. The aim of this project is to contribute to the healing process of children receiving healthcare by humanising paediatric processes and spaces.
After a decade of operation, thanks to the support of the UEFA Foundation for Children, the Foundation has carried out a comprehensive overhaul of the project, updating both its design and the accompanying narrative.
Every year, around 55,000 children are treated in the Paediatric Emergency Department at Cruces University Hospital. The aim of this community project remains the same: to accompany and help young patients during their care, treatment, hospitalisation, convalescence or any other process associated with their illness, using the values of Athletic Club to do so.
Humanisation of treatments
It has been proven that the diagnosis, treatment and recovery of children is more effective when spaces and treatments are humanised. The Supertxapeldunak project seeks to humanise healthcare processes by designing and producing different materials that showcase the support and spirit of Athletic Club, providing support to families when they need it most.
The presentation of the new design for the Supertxapeldunak project took place at Cruces Hospital on Friday, 19 December, and featured speeches by Johana Ruiz-Olabuenaga, director of the Social Area at Athletic Club, and Santiago Mintegi, head of the Paediatric Emergency Department.
Johana Ruiz-Olabuenaga: “We reinforce important values during illness.”
For the director of Athletic Club’s Social Department, “this project helps children who are going through a difficult time to strengthen values that are important during illness. Values that are characteristic of Athletic Club, such as trust in the team, courage, effort, and optimism.”
Santiago Mintegi: “The humanization of pediatric spaces is a therapeutic tool.”
Santiago Mintegi, head of the Pediatric Emergency Department at Osakidetza in Cruces University Hospital, emphasized that “the humanization of pediatric spaces is not just a matter of aesthetics, but also a therapeutic tool. Initiatives such as Supertxapeldunak allow us to transform the hospital environment into a friendlier place, where play, excitement, and values help reduce fear and improve the experience of our youngest patients.”
Bracelets, stickers, and certificates
As part of the Supertxapeldunak project, the Athletic Club Foundation is developing different lines of work with the aim of promoting positive attitudes in child patients and helping to improve their symptoms or the way they cope with illness or medical tests in different health centers and hospitals in the province of Bizkaia.
To this end, values associated with Athletic Club are used, represented by six characters with whom children can easily identify:
Ausarta (bravery), Leiala (loyalty), Harro (pride), Alaia (joy), Jakintsu (knowledge), and Bihotz (heart). These six characters give narrative meaning to the gifts that young patients receive during their healthcare:
- Bracelets. All healthcare centers in Bizkaia will hand out bracelets featuring the characters and the slogan “Supertxapeldun” during routine treatments such as consultations, vaccinations, blood tests, dressings, etc. The aim is to support patients and their families and to reinforce and reward good behavior.
- Stickers. Pediatric patients in hospitals will be given stickers with illustrations of the characters, encouraging identification with them and reinforcing the associated positive messages.
- Diplomas. Upon discharge from the hospital, children will receive a diploma certifying their good behavior, signed by Iñaki Williams and Irene Oguiza, captain and captain of Athletic Club, certifying the patient’s supertxapeldunidad.
New decoration for the pediatric wards at Cruces Hospital
Another new feature of the relaunch of the Supertxapeldunak project is the renovation of the decoration in the rooms on the Pediatrics floor of Cruces Hospital, with the visual universe of the six characters and the red and white colors characteristic of Athletic Club.
Specifically, in this first stage, the triage and reception area, the waiting room, the consultation room doors, the corridor leading to the recovery area, and the secondary waiting room and associated corridors have been redecorated. More spaces will be renovated in the coming months.
More initiatives: robes, bibs, indoor soccer, and book clubs
In addition, other joint initiatives between the Athletic Club Foundation and Osakidetza with the same aim include:
- Athletic robes. Inspired by the jerseys worn by Athletic Club’s first teams, red and white robes with the club crest on the chest are made for boys and girls during their stay in hospital.
- Corridor football. The Foundation periodically organizes soccer matches in the hospital hallways for young patients, with mini goals and a simulated soccer field, with surprise visits from players from Athletic Club’s first teams.
- Bibs for newborns. The Foundation gives each newborn baby in Bizkaia a bib with the message: “Ongi etorri familia eder honetara” (“Welcome to this great family”) and the Athletic Club crest.
- Reading club. The Foundation will reissue Óscar de Marcos’ book “TOGO” in a special edition for hospitals, which will be used to set up reading clubs for teenage patients.
Overall, Supertxapeldunak is a project that transforms healthcare facilities into places of hope and teamwork in the eyes of children, where every girl and boy feels part of the big Athletic Club family.
