On a mercy mission to help ease pains of war (From Worcester News)

On a mercy mission to help ease pains of war

8:20pm Thursday 21st February 2013 in News

THERAPISTS from the county are returning to Bosnia as part of a charity mission to help victims of war.

Friends Kathy Scott and Melanie Harris will return to Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, on April 13 as part of their work for the Healing Hands Network.

We reported last year how the women performed massage and reflexology on people still carrying the physical and mental scars of a conflict which raged 20 years ago.

The therapists dealt with a variety of cases including post-traumatic stress disorder and people who had lost their limbs.

Fifty-year-old Mrs Scott, of Redhill, Worcester, of Bringing Massage 2 U, said: “We were so blown away by the people we met and the people we treated over there when you consider what they have been through. I think we saw before how steely human resolve is. We are hoping that we might see some of the clients we saw last year.

“We felt we made a difference. The treatments definitely work. With the language barrier we still managed to pick up bits. They really do express themselves.

“I have never had so many bear hugs and kisses in my life. They can also tell us through an interpreter how they felt.”

To find out more about the work that the therapists do a free open day is being held at Rushwick village hall, near Worcester, on Sunday, March 17, between 11am and 3pm.

There will be a raffle in aid of the Healing Hands Network. The day will also give people a chance to learn more about Indian head massage, holistic massage, pregnancy massage, chair massage, reflexology and maternity reflexology, aromatherapy, Reiki and more.