On June 1, at 5 a.m., young patients at the Center for Pediatric Oncology, Hematology and Clinical Immunology in Tashkent were already awake. Nurses had told them: 'Today, superheroes are coming to see you.'
The celebration, marking International Children's Day, began at 10 a.m. in the hospital courtyard. Patients allowed by doctors took their places. Animators dressed as Labubu, Kuromi and Melody played and danced with the children to cheerful music.
Meanwhile, on the roof of the main building, industrial climbers prepared for their performance. They carefully tied knots, secured anchor points and checked carabiners. After technical preparations, they donned superhero costumes made of dense synthetic fabric over 10 kg of safety equipment.
Eight heroes — Spider-Man, Superman, Batman, Iron Man, Captain America, Wolverine, Deadpool and an astronaut — approached the roof edge. Children joyfully waved and cheered. The climbers began descending the building's facade on ropes. Patients in wards pressed against windows, shouting 'Spider-Man!', 'Iron Man!', 'Batman!'.
Iron Man, behind whose mask was 39-year-old Ismail Tleumuratov, said: 'Usually when rappelling, I focus on my work, but today emotions were overwhelming. Seeing children's smiles brings immense joy. When you hand a gift through a window and see their genuine happiness, words cannot describe it.'
Tleumuratov, the initiative's organizer, has been a rock climbing enthusiast since youth and has worked as an industrial climber for over 20 years; he currently leads a team at Toza Oyna company. The entire team supported the idea. Spouses of the climbers handled the ground program and gift preparation. A total of 400 gift sets were prepared — double the required amount, as the center reported 220 children undergoing treatment.
During preparations, climbers visited the center five times to inspect the roof and facades, and coordinated with the head physician. 'The main task was not to overlook children who cannot leave their wards due to serious conditions,' Tleumuratov said.
The celebration was split into two parts: for those able to go outside, a show with animators; for hematology patients, gifts were delivered through windows. Children in intensive care and chemotherapy were personally congratulated by superheroes with doctors' permission.
The event lasted over five hours. Tleumuratov admitted: 'The hardest part was seeing children who have been bedridden for a long time and cannot go outside. Some were painful to look at. Tears even came to my eyes. Good thing I had a mask on.'
The climbers aimed to distract children from daily treatments and provide positive emotions. 'We may be in superhero costumes, but the real heroes are these children who, despite all difficulties, sincerely rejoice and believe in miracles,' said Iron Man.
Tleumuratov acknowledges that neither he nor his colleagues have experience organizing parties. 'We work in a completely different field,' he says. Nevertheless, every participant gave their all. The superheroes wished the children strong health and strength to overcome their illness. They hope the event becomes an annual tradition.
Source: www.gazeta.uz