Warm support in Fridolin’s Rainbow Court”: A look behind the scenes

Warm support in Fridolin’s Rainbow Court”: A look behind the scenes

A highly emotional shift change in the children's and youth hospice “Fridolin's Rainbow Court” in Radewege took place this evening at 10 p.m. After a demanding eight-hour shift, Franziska Feller and Sina Lorenz handed over the helm to Doreen Uhlig, affectionately known as “Lotti”. She has been working in the team since the beginning of the year and brings a lot of experience, especially as a trained nurse and special education nurse. Julian Schwandt, who has been with her since April, is also new to the team.

What is important in a children's hospice is an understanding of the special challenges that this work brings with it. Doreen Uhlig emphasizes the emotional hurdles that she experiences, especially after the loss of a child. The “Fridolin’s Rainbow Court” offers space for eight seriously ill children and young people who suffer from so-called “life-limiting illnesses” (LLE). These are often caused by pregnancy complications or premature births. Here the affected families not only receive support, but also the space that they urgently need.

Support for families

The tasks in the hospice are complex. Daily care, such as administering medication and feeding tubes, is just as important as reading aloud or doing laundry. Working in the hospice is intended to provide parents with valuable relief and enable their siblings to receive more attention. Doreen commutes 45 minutes every day from Potsdam to Radewege to give the children a bit of joy in life and to enjoy this variety. She also plans to set up a contact and advice center for parents and offer last aid courses.

However, the support for affected families goes beyond the work in facilities such as the “Rainbow Farm”. The German Children's Hospice Association e.V. offers comprehensive support from diagnosis, during life, when dying and beyond the child's death. They support families in difficult times and offer help in the form of information, personal meetings and practical support.

Comprehensive care for sick children

The care of sick children takes place in close coordination between various specialists and institutions. These are crucial to meet the specific needs of young patients. Those too outpatient services offered are a significant support. They help families who, after diagnoses such as mucopolysaccharidoses or cancer, not only have to deal with the illness, but also with the emotional challenges of everyday life.

Such services are financed primarily through donations. This means that the support remains free of charge for families and does not affect other social benefits. The German Children's Hospice Association provides information about the many options that are now available in Germany to make life a little easier for the families affected.

Doreen Uhlig, who wants to work in the hospice for eleven more years until she retires, has experienced a lot in her career. Their goal is to not only see those affected as sick children, but to support and accompany them in their individuality. “It’s about living life, even if it’s only for a short time,” says Uhlig. She sees herself and her team as “helpers in times of need” – and that makes her a valuable support for the families in “Fridolin’s Rainbow Farm”.