Under such motto, at the World Hearing Center in Kajetany, on July 15, on the occasion of the 20th Anniversary of Poland’s first cochlear implantation of a deaf person was organized the family picnic.
This family gathering was attended by about 3000 patients, their families and friends. They could all test themselves in various sports, participate in establishing the Guinness World Record in the “Largest gathering of people with ear implants”, try different games, entertainments and refreshments as well as admire… 1 377 snails from the collection of Prof. Henryk Skarzynski. This impressive collection enabled – this time – beating the second record of that day the Guinness World Record in the “largest collection of snail-related items”. The result achieved in Kajetany outnumbers the previous record, established in 2002 in the Netherlands, by 920 items.
An attempt to establish a Guinness World Record in the “Largest gathering of people with ear implants” was also successful; with the result of 557 patients we have become the world record holders.
The proper course of two records was supervised by the Commission, led by Seyda Subasi-Gemici, the official adjudicator of the Guinness World Records. The Commission was very careful and exact in counted all participants and items , whilst ensuring compliance with very stringent requirements such as special medical statements which many patients did not have with themselves. Although not everyone managed to arrive before 12.00, the record was set.
The first 20 young patients also had a unique opportunity to take part – together with Mrs. Teresa Sukniewicz-Kleiber, an outstanding Polish athlete who set the world record in 100 meter hurdles three times – in the opening of the “Park of 10,000 steps”.
The idea of the Park in Kajetany was by realized Prof. Henry Skarżyński together with the World Hearing Center’s team. Instigators and supporters of this project were Teresa Sukniewicz-Kleiber, National Consultants, leading experts in various fields of medicine and Chairmen of the Scientific Committees of the Polish Academy of Sciences – Prof. Grzegorz Opolski, Prof. Boleslaw Samolinski, Prof. Janina Stepinska, Prof. Marian Zembala and Prof. Tomasz Zdrojewski.
A great interest aroused the art booth where children together with their parents could prepare drawings and colorings. Among the other attractions was the Medieval Village where they could bake a bread … of course snail-shaped.
The ‘Slimaczek’ Club of Implanted Patients raised own tent where there were conducted consultations with specialists such as engineers, clinical psychologists, speech therapists, physicians and geneticists. It had been by several hundred people. In the hospitable ‘Café Slimaczek’ all implantees could sit down to talk freely, meet new friends, share their experiences with hearing. In the tent there was also a Gallery of Experience, where implanted patients could write down their comments on their experiences.
Finally, one could visit the comfortable Field Post Office and write “Greetings from Kajetany” to his nearest and dearest. More than 1,500 postcards were sent to various recipients.