Rödl Employee Fund for Children’s Aid: Feldenkrais Method Support Therapy for Five Severely Handicapped Children from Cologne

published on 15 January 2021 | reading time approx. 2 minutes

Pänz vun Kölle e.V. Association pursues the objective to help - pragmatically and quickly - children in difficult situations in finding some happiness. The Association founded in 2002 supports various institutions in the Rhine-Erft region of Germany. Thanks to its personal contacts with the facilities, the Association is able to react promptly to suggestions and requests, and over the years it has developed a network of effective and prompt arrangements to provide assistance. The motto here is: quick decision-making processes, decisiveness and acting responsibly.

That is why we have contacted the Association and asked if we could support them. During a personal discussion with Angelika and Michael Maier, the Association founders, we have quickly identified a project in urgent need of support. Five severely handicapped children from Cologne are currently receiving support therapy after the Feldenkrais method - a body-oriented form of treatment to change ingrained movement patterns. The continuation of the therapy programme was not financially secured, so that the sustainable effect was at risk. The children are severely handicapped and their current development stage is characterised with considerable locomotor and speech impairments. The families are under high stress and the siblings of these children suffer as well.

For this reason, Rödl Employee Foundation to Aid Children has decided to support treatment of the five children so that the situation of the children and their families could be sustainably improved through Feldenkrais therapy.

The period from our first contact to decision-making and implementation of the decision was only 14 days. This prompt action has also made Pänz vun Kölle Association (and certainly the families) very happy. Thus, this was also the first occasion for Rödl & Partner to support a project in the Rhineland - and we hope that many more actions will follow.