(Joint press release by the Hanseatic City of Stralsund and the Förderverein Kinder- und Jugendhospiz Leuchtturm eV) The Förderverein Kinder- und Jugendhospiz Leuchtturm eV is planning Mecklenburg-West Pomerania’s first stationary children’s and youth hospice in the Hanseatic City of Stralsund
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The Förderverein Kinder- und Jugendhospiz Leuchtturm eV in Greifswald has decided to build a children’s and youth hospice in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and to set up a non-profit limited liability company as the sponsor. This means that one of the main objectives of the association has now been implemented.
Children with incurable and life-shortening diseases require intensive support, care and support. Families are often overwhelmed with this task. Since it was founded in 2010, the association has looked after children with life-limiting illnesses and their families as part of outpatient family support. The family companions work closely with all regional actors (outpatient palliative services, nursing services, paediatricians, clinics, etc.). The care of the children includes the terminal care and also the subsequent support of the family. The voluntary family companions were qualified for their task in advance, mostly in the association’s own training courses.
After the successful establishment of an outpatient children’s and young people’s hospice service, it is a logical and long overdue step to offer inpatient care to children with incurable and life-shortening diseases and their families in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The need is great.
At the same time, this completes the network of successfully working stationary children’s and youth hospices in Germany.
“We are happy for all children and young people and their families who need our support that we can now make them an offer at an attractive location on the coast,” said Marlies Rüchel, chairwoman of the association.
The hospice will be built on the previously undeveloped property at Louis-Fürnberg-Weg 1 near the Strelapark, in the vicinity of the “Am Grünhain” daycare center and the care campus of the municipal welfare institutions.
The association is grateful to the citizens of the Hanseatic City of Stralsund for being able to lease a plot of land for the hospice building, which offers the affected families and especially children many opportunities in the immediate vicinity: not only the possible synergies with daycare and nursing campus make the location attractive, but also the Infrastructure nearby as well as Stralsund attractions, such as the old town of the Hanseatic city, the zoo, the Ozeaneum, the new barrier-free access to the city beach and last but not least the Baltic Sea.
“The nearest stationary children and youth hospices are in Hamburg and Berlin. The entire north-east is a white spot on the map of Germany. We wanted and will change that! The Hanseatic city of Stralsund welcomes the planned children’s and youth hospice with open arms and supports the new building with a plot of land that is both beautiful and strategically perfectly located, as well as the expertise of our municipal welfare institutions. The affected families are very welcome,” said Lord Mayor Alexander Badrow on the occasion of the joint announcement with the board of directors of the association.
The hospice will provide care for 8 children with additional apartments for the parents and siblings. In contrast to an adult hospice, children and young people in a children’s and young people’s hospice not only spend the last phase of their lives there, but the hospice is also regularly open to children and young people with their families who need a break from their challenging everyday life and their children in a competent and want to know loving care.
Managing Director Annett Mülling says about the location in the immediate vicinity of the welfare institutions of the Hanseatic City of Stralsund: “My team and I are very pleased that the board of directors of the Förderverein Kinder- und Jugendhospice Leuchtturm eV has decided to set up a stationary children’s and youth hospice on the premises of the social center “Am Grünhufer Bogen”. We will support the association with our experience and our skills from the operation of the hospice “Gezeiten”. We are very much looking forward to further cooperation.”
The entire construction will cost about 10 million euros, of which the association itself, together with donors, intends to raise half over the next two years through an intensive fundraising campaign. The planning envisages the first groundbreaking for summer 2024 and completion at the end of 2025.
“We are aware that this is an ambitious goal, but we have already seen generous support for our outpatient service in recent years. This motivates us and creates the necessary trust to create even more joy for these children and young people with their families with the help of many,” concluded Marlies Rüchel.
Contact:
Marlies Rüchel
CEO
Friends of the Children and Youth Hospice Lighthouse eV
Poggenweg 29
17489 Greifswald
Phone: 03834 5253002
car: 0176 23729214
Fax: 03834 8475013
www.kjh-leuchtturm.de
[email protected]
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