Real Life Experience
ELEPAP offers a series of holistic intervention programs for infants, preschool and school children.
Here I got to grips with my weaknesses and my capabilities, I was taught new strategies. I believed in myself once more.
“My name is Maximilian and I have right side paraplegia after a brain injury I sustained when I was fourteen years old. For ten years I felt that something had changed. But we only focused on the motor aspects. My parents and I were unaware of the consequences, which made all my efforts fruitless. I learnt about the ELEPAP Neuropsychological Rehabilitation Unit by pure chance. Here I got to grips with my weaknesses and my capabilities, I was taught new strategies. I believed in myself once more. I decided not to give up the fight. Today I am an ELEPAP mentor, raising awareness in schools. I completed the new cycle of seminars on Arboriculture and I intend to go back to my place of birth and start working in the agricultural sector in Ioannina”.
Maximilian Tsiavos, graduate of the Neuropsychological Rehabilitation program
We have to be treated as equals and not as oddities, in order to be able to reintegrate smoothly into society once more.
About 10 years ago I got dragged by a car, when I was attempting to cross a street at a traffic light and as a result suffered a TBI. After a brain injury many things change. Your world view changes. Others treat you differently. The time you need to take in and process information, as well as your reaction time change, which makes daily life and interpersonal relationships more difficult. In Greece, there is a greater focus on motor rather than cognitive rehabilitation, which for me is equally, if not more important. What “is” counts more than what “appears to be”. After recently attending the Neuropsychology and Rehabilitation Unit at ELEPAP, this is now clear to me. We have to be treated as equals and not as oddities, in order to be able to reintegrate smoothly into society once more.
Evi, graduate of the Neuropsychological Rehabilitation program
My dream is to be able to give back based on my personal experience and the knowledge I have acquired.
“My name is Despina Margomenou and I am a Panteion University graduate. Since I was 8 months old, ELEPAP has been my second home and its people my second family. Through hard work and day-to-day guidance, quadriplegia became paraplegia. After completing the Early Intervention program, I entered the general school system and returned to ELEPAP as a volunteer and later as a staff member for the Social Cooperative Enterprise ARTemeis. My dream is to be able to give back based on my personal experience and the knowledge I have acquired and, of course, go on to have a family of my own”.
Despina Margomenou (program graduate)
I want to say a massive thank you to the ELEPAP family, which embraced me so warmly.
“My name is Despina Nikolakoudi and I’m going to talk to you about ELEPAP, which forms a large part of my life, my heart. Here I have cried, laughed, stood on my own two feet both literally and figuratively. I followed the therapeutic programs for 15 years. The specialized and experienced staff guided and supported my parents in accepting my uniqueness. The work of ELEPAP isn’t over when children depart from their programs, but continues at every significant moment of their lives. In my case, my physical therapist and members of the ELEPAP Administration did me the honour of coming to my graduation ceremony. I want to say a massive thank you to the ELEPAP family, which embraced me so warmly and played a practical and defining role in how I am today. Without their support, I would never have managed to become fully independent and to be able to work over the past 10 years as a teacher in Primary Education. My goal is to become a beacon, working to light the way for my young students to learn to accept diversity, mutual understanding and respect of their fellow human beings. I want them to understand, through my personal example that however hard something appears to be, if they have willpower and support from the right people, we can all manage to achieve our goals. I did, and so can you”.
Despina Nikolakoudi (program graduate)
Thank goodness we got to know ELEPAP, which soon became our second family.
“My name is Rigos Frangiskos, and I am the father of Markos, who is 8 years old. Seven and a half years ago, we discerned that he had certain mobility problems and we were forced to leave our island, our jobs, our home and come to Athens. Thank goodness we got to know ELEPAP, which soon became our second family and we entered their therapeutic programs and the Early Intervention program”.
Rigos Frangiskos (parent to a child in ELEPAP)
A great big bravo, keep up the good work!
“How could I ever forget Markos’ first words, the image of him riding a bike, which was inconceivable with his condition. But through the unremitting hard work of his therapist, we managed to do it. I could also mention his involvement with computers and any number of other things. Perhaps simple thanks are a small thing compared to the great work that ELEPAP has carried out over 80 years for Our Brave Children. However I have to offer a massive thank you to the Administration, the therapists, the educators, the staff and to all those who actively assist our daily struggle. A great big bravo, keep up the good work!”
Marilena Delatola (parent to a child in ELEPAP)
As a parent I felt safe, ELEPAP embraced us, parents and child, and guided us well.
"I am here today as a parent to present my own experience of how we can help a child triumph. The first step is acceptance - that our child needs little bit or a lot more help. The second step is what we call Early Intervention. This cannot be done in isolation. It requires an organized center. ELEPAP is a model Center for Rehabilitation and Special Education, with modern facilities and the best experts. As a parent, I felt safe, ELEPAP embraced us, parents and child and guided us well, ridding us of unnecessary fears, putting us on alert when needed and we had the best possible result for our child. I want to say to parents that they should not be afraid to admit that they need help and to actively seek it. I would like to say to the State that it should always help the valuable work of ELEPAP. I want to say to you who are following us, to contribute in any way you can, voluntarily or financially, so that ELEPAP can celebrate not 80, but 580 years of operation."
Sofia Anagnostara (parent of a child which attends ELEPAP)
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
CHILDREN
YEARS
BRANCHES
OUR SCIENTIFIC STAFF
THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTIONS ANNUALLY
CHILDREN DAILY
Online Transactions
