“Thank you for being there for us!”

Supporting families at the Sternenbrücke children’s hospice in Hamburg for almost 20 years

Joanna und ihre Mama genießen die gemeinsame Zeit in der Sternenbrücke

Families with a terminally ill child must often embark on a journey that is not only marked by pain and sadness. Their everyday life is also especially difficult and strenuous. Mothers and fathers and – from a certain age on – brothers and sisters, too, are plagued by constant worries about what will happen in the future. They are uncertain about how the child’s illness will develop and how the situation as a whole will affect them both now and in the future. Will we be able to be together next summer? What will next Christmas be like? Will our sick child still be able to sit then? Especially in the case of rare metabolic and muscular disorders, from which many of the children in Sternenbrücke suffer, it is often only with difficulty that prognoses can be made. And this leads to even greater uncertainty.

Short breaks to support the whole family

Therefore, the special services of children’s hospices also include not waiting until the child’s final phase of life to help these families, but instead being there for them over the many months and years that the parents care for their child around the clock in their own home. You are “our oasis during the year”, said one father recently when leaving Sternenbrücke, bringing a smile to the faces of our staff. Because this is exactly what they want to achieve – the visits spread out over the year are intended to make the parents’ and children’s time together as enjoyable as possible. Short breaks to support the whole family in an environment that is entirely geared to meet the needs of the affected parents and children.

Cherished memories

Dörthe Jürgens, who, this spring, had her second stay at Sternenbrücke with her husband and daughter, said from the bottom of her heart: “Thank you for being there for us”. And she wasn’t just referring to the days that she was able to spend at the children’s hospice in Rissen. Having people to rely on when one’s life gets turned upside down again can be much needed, and comforting as well. Even when the often arduous daily routine returns, there is still a strong desire to somehow fill the remaining time together with life and happy moments. And sometimes compassionate hearts and an extra pair of hands can help make this possible. Such moments can eventually become cherished memories that live on after the loss of the child and are treasured by mothers, fathers and siblings too. Cherished memories that bind parents, children and staff at the Sternenbrücke children’s hospice in gratitude.

Go to home page