“…also bin ich” a beginning for Expression of Hope

The German Mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS) Society, an association of parents whose children have the rare metabolic disease MPS, created “…also bin ich” (“…therefore I am”), a wonderful program which helped inspire Expression of Hope.

With the goal of increasing awareness of MPS and of the ways in which it can impact the lives of children, the German MPS Society created “…also bin ich” as an exhibition of art meant to convey the view of the world of someone living with MPS and to examine this alongside the way the world might view that person.

“Lea” Stefan Stark from “…also bin ich”

The Society formed a collaboration with professional artists and children living with MPS, their siblings and parents. The result was a series of artwork by both the children and the artists which captures the individual spirits of the affected children. Next, thousands of schoolchildren across Germany were invited to look closely at the artistic impressions of the MPS children and the world as experienced by them. The schoolchildren then, in turn, created their own works of art which address the question: “In what ways are we different, and in what ways are we the same?”

Diana, 20 years from “…also bin ich”

Paul, 11 years from “…also bin ich”

Astrid, 17 years from “…also bin ich”

Leo, 6 years from “…also bin ich”

The exhibit is currently touring various German cities. It is the German MPS Society’s hope that the joy of life and the courage common to all MPS children will be apparent and felt by those who experience “…also bin ich”.

The following photos represent the artists who participated in the "...also bin ich" ("..therefore I am") program launched by the German MPS Society. For more information on their work, please visit the “…also bin ich” website.

Stefan Stark Sila Bume Harald Kejr

Dieter Wolthoff Justas Maria Bustorff

To learn more about “…also bin ich”, click here.

To learn more about the German MPS Society, click here.