Sterntaler e.V. Children's Hospice, Germany

Guldmann 2022 donations

More time for quality of life and smooth transitions

Bodywork and movement therapy for children with life-shortening illnesses in children's hospice Sterntaler e.V.

As we all know, seven is a fairytale number. And indeed, it can almost seem a little fairytale-like that seven years after the first ceiling lift was installed in the Sterntaler e.V. children's hospice, we are able to present a donation cheque for 10,000 Euros during our visit today.

The children's hospice Sterntaler e.V. encourages children with life-shortening illnesses and their families and accompanies them on their difficult journey.
For this socially important work, children's hospices in Germany depend on financial donations, in the spirit of the Brothers Grimm's fairy tale that gave this hospice its name.

The special thing about it often needs to be explained first: In contrast to adult hospices, inpatient children's hospices offer families the opportunity to relax and recharge their batteries several times a year, as well as occasions for eventually light-heartedness in a communal, caring and professional setting.

Life itself and the conscious, intensive experience of quality of life and time are in the foreground, even if the approaching death and the confrontation with it also have their place there. The multi-professional team, as well as its volunteers, accomplish a great deal with their accompanying, counselling and emotional work.

Always with a special focus on respect for life and the dignity of the individual, in order to enrich each day with special perception, joy and life.

In 2015, ceiling hoist systems with GH1 and GH1 Q lifting modules were installed in the treatment rooms, the nursing bathrooms and the childcare rooms, to enable the team to lift and transfer the mobility-impaired children safely and without strain.

This creates time for the special attention and care, that the children with life-shortening illnesses, their parents and their siblings need so urgently: Shiatsu practitioner Markus Wolf practices holistic bodywork based on mindful touch on a Japanese futon with the affected children and their families.

Shiatsu not only has an antispasmodic, pain-relieving and relaxing effect so that medication can be partially reduced. The undivided attention for the individual is also often beneficial and mobilizes individual resources during the difficult time of transition.

The new therapy pool was completed in the facility in 2021. The ceiling lift connects the therapy pool with the nursing shower and couch, enabling safe transfer into the water. This enables Markus Wolf to offer complimentary Shiatsu in water, so-called Watsu.

In water, the positive effect of Shiatsu multiplies in an almost magical way:

"We notice that the children develop their own movements in the water, which are usually not possible due to the constriction in the wheelchair. Now the body is completely free in the water and can develop, and suddenly swimming movements appear. These movements, which had been stored all the time internally, are remarkable. Then we have children who can get up from the wheelchair, turn around and sit on the edge of the bed, who now stand in the water due to the buoyancy and can also suddenly walk. This is like movement therapy."

These precious moments of independence with simultaneous safety are enormously important for a qualitative feeling of life for children with life-shortening illnesses, thinks Markus Wolf. Without the ceiling lift, these special experiences for the Sterntaler children would not be possible.

Handling the transfer into the water requires a special sensitivity - not only because the parents often have fears and uncertainty as to whether the child wants to get involved in the therapeutic work in the water. But also, because the mobility-impaired child's body should always and under all circumstances glide particularly gently and safely into the water:

"What is very nice about this is that you can make this transition very slowly. When the lift goes down and the feet go into the water first, you can slowly get the child used to the water - and avoid any hard transition. As soon as the water starts to carry the child, I can loosen the loops and take the child out for treatment. It's a routine procedure, and once you know that, it's very easy and above all it is safe, that's the most important thing. There is no danger at any moment that the child could slip away."

One Watsu experience left a special impression on Markus Wolf:

"One of our Sterntaler children has retained the baby reflex at the age of 9. You can throw a baby into the water and it automatically holds its breath. As soon as it is up again, it continues to breathe normally. And this child actually dives under, turns around its own axis, and when the nose is up for a moment: Take a breath and go on and down again! It's one big glow on the face. That is pure quality of life, and for such moments we are very, very grateful."

To shape the remaining time of life and the difficult phases of transition for children and their families so gently and caringly against the background of premature death: This is to be explicitly acknowledged today, just like in a fairy tale.

The children's hospice Sterntaler e.V. in Dudenhofen will use our donation to mindfully shape and energetically implement many more valuable projects of this kind in the future - for even more time to care.