Inter Campus and Monza hospital: healing through football

MILAN – The end-of-season tournament run by Inter Campus Italy for children from Monza hospital was held at the Suning Youth Development Centre in memory of Giacinto Facchetti.

The tournament brings to an end what has been an exciting season for the kids, who have had the chance to play with the Primavera players and meet idols such as Javier Zanetti, Park Ji Sung and Francesco Toldo.   The Inter Campus Italy project is run together with the children's oncology/haematology department at Monza hospital and the Maria Letizia Verga Committee.

Among those at the event was doctor Momcilo Jankovic, a much-loved figure among the children and their families. Speaking to Inter Channel, Dr Jankovic once again underlined the importance of sports activity in aiding the children's emotional and physical recovery from leukaemia and lymphomas.

Toldo's arrival on the scene caused a bit of a stir among the kids and the former Nerazzurri keeper set about signing autographs and posing for pics. Before the tournament got under way, he also had three gifts to give out: a keyring, an Inter shirt from this season and a commemorative goalkeeper's jersey from the 2010 Champions League final.

The goalie shirt went to the oldest child, Salvatore, whose recovery from illness was helped by Inter Campus. He won't be playing with Inter Campus next season because he'll be over-age but he's so determined to stay involved he may continue as an assistant.

This year's jersey went to Miriam, the most recent girl to join Inter Campus. She bounced up to collect her prize full of joy and slipped the shirt straight on (it came down to her feet), before turning to her mum and saying “Can we put this in the toy box?”

Samuele, the youngest of the group having just turned six, was the receiver of the keyring. We asked him to read out loud what the message on the keyring from Francesco Toldo and Inter Campus: 'Never give up!'