The Sternenbrücke stays in touch with the affected families even after the loss of their child. Our grief counselling includes talking about people's experiences and about filling the resulting void with memories. We devote a special place to these memories in a separate garden, because the experience of recent years shows that the orphaned families need these memories of their child and of their joint path to cope with their grief.
In the original Garden of Memory, which was opened in 2005, each young person who died at the Sternenbrücke has their own lamp with their name on it. This gives the orphaned family members a dignified place where they can remember their child in a peaceful setting.
To ensure that all our star children will have a place in the Garden of Memory in the future, the garden had to be extended. Thanks to many donations, we were able to open the extended garden in April 2015. The existing garden was not affected by the building work, we simply added another identical garden. The two gardens together now form the shape of an infinity symbol. The large angel made from sandstone guards over the small lamps of "our" star children.
Once a year we celebrate the Day of Remembrance with all orphaned parents and many Sternenbrücke staff members. On this day, we invite all families who lost a child at the Sternenbrücke to come to the children's hospice and commemorate their children.