During this mission, the whole of the docOstéocam team is working at the M’Lop Tapang school in the heart of Sihanoukville.
The atmosphere is “tense”, the noises from the nearby streets are deafening, the hustle and bustle of the children playing in the concrete playground resonates all around our treatment tables. There is not a sprig of greenery in sight, not a breath of air, not even a ray of sunlight manages to reach the place where we have set up our treatment area.
The children introduce themselves one by one, accompanied or not by staff members. Some of them recognise our team and our way of working so are happy to approach us. Others who are either very handicapped, have just arrived at the centre or who are reluctant, do not even dare to climb the few steps that separate us.
At the beginning of the afternoon, an 8-year old boy comes towards me shyly, I would even say on tiptoe. If he could have disappeared with the wave of a magic wand, I think he would have.
His apprehension makes me wonder. As many of his friends have just received the same treatment, he should be more reassured. I gently try to put him at ease, so that he will quietly accept my presence by his side.
I suggest that he lie down on the treatment table; he is cautious, I can sense his wariness, his dark and dense gaze staring at me intensely.
Sitting calmly, I imagine in the distance the peaceful nature swept by a soft, warm, enveloping breeze…
My hands slowly approach his body which tightens and stiffens immediately, as quick as a flash of lightning in the sky. His eyes darken. However, moving away from him doesn’t even cross my mind.
Patiently, I adjust my breathing to his, which is agitated and jerky at first… then his breathing slows down and becomes deeper. His eyes start to relax, his body seems to finally accept my presence… By visualising a bubble of peace in this troubled atmosphere, I place my fingertips on his forearms like a butterfly landing on a flower.
Then…
His gaze changes instantly, the sensations I can feel in my fingertips still continue to carry me away to this day… The feeling that this young boy is experiencing for the very first time being touched softly with respect and care… His eyes let me know that “this new feeling is possible and can really exist”.
From that moment onwards, his body unwinds, his tissues and cells slowly ease, his breathing deepens, just like an animal that finally accepts the presence of man at his side, the osteopathic care unfolds serenely… leaving behind him the fears that had filled his body and mind.
He falls asleep quietly… the treatment comes to an end. I can’t remove my hands from him, I feel he needs this prolonged contact so he can remember this moment of being touched with care and respect.
It was a moment of two “hearts” connecting; the impression of having placed a drop of GENTLENESS in his body, which he had perhaps never felt before.
He woke up spontaneously 2 hours later. Having chosen to let him sleep, I was soothed with the feeling that it was probably the first time he had ever let go.
I then learnt from the staff that this little boy had arrived only 3 months before and that he had suffered from daily, physical violence from his parents.
It is very important for me to share this little fragment of my time spent in Cambodia which particularly affected me…. but this is just one example amongst many others… my dearest wish is to hope peace can reign again amongst all children.
A big thank you to my colleagues and friends for this remarkable mission which took place in November 2023, a mission filled with moments of joy and moments of sadness, but above all it was an occasion for sharing precious time with others.