Fred Verhaeghe sells flower box for terminally ill woman: “Love keeps us afloat” – Society

Fred Verhaeghe (59) usually teaches, although caring for his sick wife has gradually become a full-time job. For the third year in a row, de Waregem wants to raise money for research into neurological diseases and in one move also draw attention to MSA, the disease from which his wife Hadewijck De Volder (57) suffers. A story about courage, persistence and love.

“You can actually compare it to flowers in the garden whose roots die. Then you can look for the purest water on the other side of the world, or buy the most expensive fertilizer, those flowers will never really bloom again.”
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“You can actually compare it to flowers in the garden whose roots die. Then you can look for the purest water on the other side of the world, or buy the most expensive fertilizer, those flowers will never really bloom again.” Fred Verhaeghe’s imagery is brutally honest, but the reality is then also hard. Five years ago, his wife Hadewijck De Volder was given a hard-hitting diagnosis: MSA or multiple system atrophy, a rare degenerative neurological disease. In concrete terms, cells die in certain areas of the brain, affecting, among other things, the motor skills and other automatic functions of the body. Hadewijck is dependent on a wheelchair and slowly but surely sees certain functions of her body diminish. “Almost 1 in 2 is confronted with neurological diseases at a later age, from Alzheimer’s to Parkinson’s and dementia,” her husband says. “And yet little is known about it and in my opinion too little attention is paid to it. The medical sector also very often confuses the clinical picture with Parkinson’s. Often the correct diagnosis is not made until a lot later, while correct follow-up is very important. at MSA. “Fred is an independent florist and teaches flower arrangements at the PTI in Kortrijk. To draw attention to the diseases, Fred has been selling bouquets for two years in a row. With this he has already collected almost 25,000 euros for research. “Making all those bouquets was particularly labor-intensive, so I thought about working a little more efficiently. The result was the flower box, which I named Hello Fred with a nod to the Hello Fresh meal boxes. In it you will find everything you need to know yourself. bouquet, with an online video as help.The action is supported by Minister Jan Jambon, who is godfather of the MSA association and many well-known headlines from Niels Destadsbader to Willy Naessens wrote a supporting text that was placed in a folder Just like his wife, Fred is extremely competitive, although that is not easy. “My wife was a nurse for 28 years and now needs help herself. That is tough. I myself am on a few years of retirement, but I can no longer enjoy it. Actually, we lead a broken life with broken dreams. “Fred also states plainly that his wife’s process is one of saying goodbye.” Although she has also indicated that she does not want to go to the very end. The intention is that we keep her life as dignified as possible. “He does not do this alone, he receives help from, among others, a nurse and a physiotherapist. Their home has now been completely adapted and a new sanitary block has even been built. fortunately also a lot of bright spots. The support of the many people, and especially that of their four children Ruben, Willem, Fien and Floor, including the grandchildren. Recently they welcomed twins into the family and there is a new offspring on the way. ”It’s a shitty disease, but love keeps us going. Honestly, we could get up and cry every day, but we try to see the positive everywhere. Fortunately, we also have a lot of fun. We stand for this together and we also go for this together. “According to Fred himself, he is also keeping himself right with teaching and his commitment to the Waterhoek parties. Being physically vulnerable in these times of corona is by no means a sinecure.” do to keep that virus out of here. It is not easy for me, because I teach and can in principle run a risk. But I try to be as careful as possible. We have good agreements with the children. They keep coming. If that went away, my wife would deteriorate very quickly, I’m afraid. Hadewijck enjoys it when someone comes to visit the window, but I also increasingly notice how tiring it is for her to follow a conversation. And yet it blossoms open with every conversation or word of encouragement. That keeps us all going. Even if you know it will be a matter of time … “With the flower box you support research into MSA and other neurological diseases. 15 euros per box goes to the research. The Hello Fred box costs 30 euros and you can order by transferring the amount to account number BE27 8801 6660 0173, stating your name and the day on which you will pick up the box. After all, then Fred organizes a real flower drive-in, of course completely corona-safe. “I hope to do at least as well as last year in terms of sales. This is going well, but each bouquet is one step closer in the search for a solution. Now there are no medicines or there is no solution. We can only hope it will ever come. ”

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