Lodge

To build a lodge for "our" children, adolescents and young adults on the ground of the children's hospice was a heart desire.

A lodge which offers because of its disabled facilities the opportunity to spend nice moments accompanied by nurses, but aside the stationary premises. And a retreat for the sibblings where they can spend time away from the daily care – but still be close by the parents and the deseased brother or sister. A place where they can exchange thoughts with like- minded people and live through their feelings and needs.

And the nature fulfills the children's and adolescents' need to discover, cavort and relax. It was experienced as very helpful during the griefing process because in nature we are surrounded by the subject "live and pass" daily. One can find symbols for transition, change, leaving and new beginnings. In the Sternenbrücke we already took first steps with the children in nature and would like to extend this special work in order to support the children with their development, to strengthen their personality and to give them space to express and process their grief.

Our grief counselors as well as our pedagogues will include the lodge in their work with our deseased guests and their sibblings. Our pedagogues can use the lodge to play, paint or do handcraft, whereas for our grief work it is a safe place for conversations with children who come to the children's hospice for respite care or after the loss of their sibbling. Not only the "rainbow club" – a weekly meeting for the sibblings of "our" deseased children where they can share personal wishes, fears, worries and experiences regarding their sibblings incurable disease with our grief counselors in a playful way – will take place in the lodge. It also offers room for our services during the griefing process. Furthermore, we would like to provide the children, adolescents and young adults with a place to celebrate special occasions such as their bithday.