"You always have to have Itaca in mind, to reach it is constant thought. Above all, do not rush the journey; let it last long, for years, and as an old man set foot on the island, you, rich in treasures accumulated on the street without expecting riches from Ithaca. And if you find it poor, Ithaca will not disappoint you. Now wise, with all your experience already you will have understood what Ithaca means". He wrote this in Ithaca the Greek poet Constantine Kavafis.
Ithaca: the desire to dream in a moment of life in which to do it seems difficult. Traveling in the open sea, forgetting for a few moments what are the boundaries dictated by everyday life, that daily life made up of wards, visits and treatments. Teaming with other people leaving their battle behind and giving importance to a common project: to reach the port, a metaphor for the awareness that every moment is important and must be lived to the full. All this is "...Dreaming of Ithaca”, The sailing therapy project for hematology patients promoted by the Italian Association against leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma (AIL).
A solidarity journey of 7 stops, with departure from Gaeta on June 5 and arrival in Naples on June 21, which was also attended by the Navy that in Naples has made available to patients, doctors and psychologists AIL, Orsa Maggiore Ship , the largest sailing unit of the Armed Forces, offering them the possibility of going out to sea in the evocative setting of the Neapolitan gulf and thus experiencing the life experience on board in the open sea, in the spirit of sharing and spirit team.
The sail, for the sensations it offers and for the unique and suggestive conditions in which it is practiced, has a therapeutic function: it helps to alleviate the anxiety and stress caused by the disease and strengthens the relationship existing between patients, doctors and psychologists, putting thus the psychological rehabilitation at the center of the therapeutic course. The therapy combined once again with the professionalism in navigation and the strong sense of solidarity of the Navy, in what has now become a real vocation: that of never leaving anyone behind.
