Today was a special day at the Dortmund children's hospital. On Sunday, several members of the Borussia Dortmund first team paid a visit and brought joy to the children's eyes.

David has been full of excitement all week as Sunday approaches. The 12-year-old is on ward 41 of the paediatric oncology ward at Dortmund children's hospital. He was actually set to be discharged by now, but he stayed an extra day to be there for the big visit. Now he is lying in his bed, dressed all in Black & Yellow, and tells us that the time he has spent in hospital in Dortmund has turned him into a BVB fan. He tells us that Marco Reus, Karim Adeyemi and Gregor Kobel are some of his favourite players. And also that he would be overjoyed if a BVB pro signed his shirt, which has already been signed by his friends from his football team.

Borussia Dortmund's professional players traditionally visit the children's hospital in Dortmund every year before Christmas - except for a forced break due to Covid - to bring joy to the children and take their minds off life in hospital. Due to the busy schedule, the event could not take place in December. However, the BVB first team and several BVB women's players did not miss the opportunity to visit the children's hospital in Dortmund in January.

Divided into small groups and with lots of Black & Yellow gifts under their arms, they surprise the young patients, some of whom are seriously ill, in their rooms in the children's hospital. They talk to them and are available for photos and autographs. Mascot Emma is also there for the visit, giving out hugs and receiving them in return - always a very special moment for the little patients. The big bee is also happy to fulfil autograph requests.

"The reason for the visit is not a happy one and it's not easy, but it's extremely important for us as we get to meet so many great people," says BVB coach Edin Terzic. "We've met children who are extremely brave and courageous. We've met so many great people who are helping the boys and girls to get better. They are the real heroes of Dortmund. We feel that we can bring some joy through our visit." Some of the children are caught off guard by the surprise visit, while others can barely contain their excitement. Many have put on their BVB shirts. Young patients who only receive outpatient treatment have scheduled their appointments for Sunday. And the nursing staff have also extended their shifts by a few minutes so as not to miss the visiting party.

It's not the first visit of this kind for BVB star Niclas Füllkrug: "It's always an emotional experience. We want to offer strength to the children and try to distract them for a moment. The children were very happy that we were there. They gave us a lot of smiles in return, so it was a very successful day." Prof. Dr Dominik Schneider, director of the Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, also sees the visit as a highlight of the year: "It was great to see how happy the children were. The players and coaches interacted really well with the children. This helps so much and is a good motivation for the children and their families."

David, lying in his bed on ward 41, has to take a moment to let everything sink in. In addition to Edin Terzic and Niclas Füllkrug, Marco Reus, Karim Adeyemi and Gregor Kobel also visited him, and David has five new signatures on his jersey: "It doesn't feel real. I still feel like it didn't even happen. I was very happy to talk to the players and collect signatures and take photos."
Christina Reinke