Continue on the road | Every monster

The pregnancy went smoothly and the final preparations for the new family member were being made at home. But then complications occurred during childbirth, as the baby’s brain did not get enough oxygen and was severely damaged. A month later, little Louis was taken by ambulance from the clinic in the Dusseldorf region to the Clemens Hospital in Münster, where the Department of Early Pediatric Neurorehabilitation specializes in the treatment of children and adolescents with severe brain damage. But the damage was so great that little Louis lost the fight a month later.

“Anyone who has not experienced it cannot understand what it means for his parents,” Louis’s mother, Ekaterina Berger, is sure. Nine months ago, there was a group for relatives of critically ill patients in early childhood rehabilitation at Kleimen Hospital, a clinic Alexians runs. Boser’s psychotherapist, Eugenia Boser, contacted the parents while she was still in the clinic. “At first I was skeptical. I thought that in such a group, the pain of other parents would add to my pain, but that’s not the case! The group is like a lifeline for me.” Everything is difficult. With each group meeting it becomes brighter again. I still keep in touch with many parents in the group. “

While relatives participate in group sessions and cannot be with seriously ill children, many volunteers take care of young patients in addition to caring for them. The Kleimen Hospital kin group is made possible by a donation from the Schober Foundation for Christian Aged Care Work. “The fate of the Berger family affected us deeply. At the same time, it encourages us to continue our journey,” said Dr. Anna Shopper. Your deputy, Professor Dr. Peter Witt adds: “The focus of hospice care is on the dying person and their loved ones. Therefore, taking care of relatives, who are often at the end of their means, is essential and beneficial to all.”

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