Very good news for the brothers Peter and Hans van Straalen in Moscow: it looks like they will be coming home on Saturday. Peter (46) underwent a stem cell transplant in Moscow five weeks ago. While he was recovering seriously weakened in the hospital, Russia invaded Ukraine. This week Peter got an infection that prevented him from flying back. And then the visa of the brothers expired and the airline tickets are now scarce. But on Thursday everything fell into place. Hans: “I’m super happy, emotionally too.”
“The worst nightmare has become reality,” said Hans from Bergeijk earlier this week. The night before he heard from the hospital that his brother Peter from Gerwen had developed an infection. The planned return flight could not take place on Tuesday, because that could be life-threatening for the weakened Peter.
He has MS and was able to undergo major surgery in Russia. But suddenly during his recovery there was that war. Peter, alone and in strict quarantine in the hospital and under the painkillers, probably didn’t get much of that. But his brother Hans all the more: “The atmosphere is threatening. When it’s dark, I don’t go out on the street anymore. It’s not safe,” he told Omroep Brabant.
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The embassy urgently advised to go home, Russia would be locked. But leaving head over heels was not an option due to the infection. And then there was the problem of the visa that expired last Wednesday.
But on Thursday, life suddenly seemed to smile gently at the two brothers again. “The antibiotics are taking off very well. That’s why Peter was even allowed to go to court today, for a case about our visa.”
And that meant that the brothers could finally see each other again after five weeks: “That was a very nice moment, yes. I want to remember that when they are home later. I want to forget all the misery soon.”
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“Hahaha… brother!“, says Peter when he sees Hans again after all this time. He remains very calm: “As if we saw each other yesterday. He is also really tired of the meds. That’s why I film everything, because he can barely remember anything.”
At eight o’clock the two were in court, at four o’clock they were finally heard. “Peter sat there all day in his wheelchair. He kept falling asleep, was really exhausted.” But in the end, all the effort pays off.
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“Our visa has been extended by ten days. Because it had expired, we were here illegally. We are therefore fined and now have a criminal record here. And we are not allowed to enter Russia for five years.” But for the time being, Brabant is also the only place they want to be. “I’m really done with it, I want to go home.”
And that will happen soon: “I got a call an hour ago, we have plane tickets! Saturday morning we fly!” Those tickets together cost four thousand euros, but it seems that a journey full of bizarre twists and turns is coming to an end this weekend. “I’m super happy, emotionally too. If Peter stays healthy, we can just go home!”
Hans already indicated earlier that he hopes to receive donations via the crowdfundingpage that was already there to finance the costly operation. †
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