On Thursday, 10 December, the establishment of the Fonds Prinses Delphine van Saksen-Coburg was unveiled at University Hospital Ghent. The fund will seek to promote the integration of the arts into healthcare. Princess Delphine of Belgium is the honorary chairman of the charity. The princess will endeavour to help raise awareness of the fund's missions as well as to assist with fundraising.
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| Princess Delphine of Belgium and Dr. Tessa Kerre. |
At the announcement of the fund's inception, Dr. Tessa Kerre stated: "We are very pleased, proud, and happy that the princess was willing to give her name to the fund. She fits perfectly within the theme. Princess Delphine is an artist for whom communication and love are very important. She stands for warmth and human contact. She also says that art has a therapeutic effect. So, she is the right person in the right place. She depicts the message we want to convey in her art." Dr. Kerre is a hematologist and the head of the clinic at Ghent University Hospital. Dr. Kerre further elaborated that, "We set up the fund because we are convinced that art can have a healing effect. In a hospital, we try to make people better. And in general, we do that by treating the disease, but we must not forget that there is a human being behind the disease. Art can play a role in the healing process. The bond between the patient and the care provider can be strengthened through art and culture. When you, as a doctor, visit a patient who is reading a book, it can be nice to talk about it. Some people also make drawings or paintings during their stay. Everyone is looking for a way to fill up their time in the hospital. By talking about art together you can make a connection through a passion and talk about something other than the disease."
