Hundreds of thousands of families fight: The day of children's hospice work in Hesse!

Hundreds of thousands of families fight: The day of children's hospice work in Hesse!

On February 10, 2025, the “Day of Children's Hospice Work” will be celebrated in Germany. This day is said to indicate the difficult situation of around 100,000 children and adolescents who suffer from life -shortening diseases. The great burden that these diseases for the families affected is alleviated by volunteers, the support and relief. So reports hessenschau.de that these helpers play with the sick children, which gives parents valuable time for other tasks.

In Hesse, actions are planned on this day to celebrate the valuable work of the volunteers and to raise awareness of the challenges of the families concerned. In the afternoon, a human chain is to be formed in Frankfurt, while in Darmstadt the cinema City Dome shows the film "This stupid heart", followed by a conversation with the Children's Hospice and Family Prompting Service South Hesse. The only inpatient children's hospice in Hesse, Bärenherz Wiesbaden, distributes green ligaments on car antennas as a sign for the day, whereby the donations from these actions are to be used for the support of families.

the reality for affected families

The situation of the families concerned is often characterized by extreme isolation and despair. Emil, a three -year -old boy, is an example of the challenges that many families have to face. A genetic defect suffers from severe restrictions and needs care around the clock. After a year of isolation, his parents contacted the German Children's Hospice Services. According to Deutsche- Kinderhospiz-dienste.de , only around 100,000 affected children in Germany are accompanied by one of the 180 children's and youth hospice services.

Thorsten Haase, Managing Director of the German Children's Hospice Services e. V., emphasizes that the actual number of affected families is likely to be even higher than the officially recognized 50,000. In addition, over 96,000 affected children live in a social dark field, which increases their isolation. Family Minister Lisa Paus has confirmed the number of around 100,000 families affected and emphasizes that many of them are not informed about their rights and auxiliary claims.

The need for support structures

The existing help structures are often not enough to meet the legal right to support. There is a significant need for clarification and many families are afraid to use the free offers. The German Children's Hospice Services therefore call for an improvement in financial and structural framework conditions. Their goal is to create a needs -based offer of child hospice by 2035 in order to illuminate the dark field of over 96,000 families affected as quickly as possible.