You have been admitted to ward 64a with your sick child, probably completely unprepared. Now you are very worried about your child's health, about how he or she will cope with the situation, with the certainty of being torn from everyday life by the illness and the numerous hospital stays. You quickly realize that nothing is as it was, that all your plans no longer apply for the time being and that you first have to see how you can get to grips with this situation as a family.
However, you will also realize that you are not alone, that you share your fate with other families and that you are surrounded by a team on the ward who will do everything they can to help your child recover.
Because many families have experienced this, the Verein für krebskranke Kinder Hannover e.V. was founded in 1984 as an initiative of affected parents. We work on a voluntary basis and are financed exclusively by donations.
Our goals are to accompany you and your child with cancer and your family during the difficult time of the disease, to offer support, exchange and encouragement, to improve the expansion and equipment of the children's hospital and to support scientific research. We have already initiated many projects to help you find the best possible conditions to make this difficult time easier. Additional staff positions financed by us improve patient care. By completely renovating the ward and the patient rooms, in which each child now has their own television and a small bathroom, we have ensured that it has become very attractive and more functional for everyone involved.
We wish you and your child all the best for the time ahead.
Anke Mayer
Chairwoman of the Association for Children with Cancer Hannover e.V.
Parents for parents - how we support the MHH
The following various projects, which you will definitely come across, can only be offered at the MHH because we finance them. If you are interested in our work, simply get in touch with us. We are always happy to receive suggestions, help and support. And we ask for your understanding that due to the current situation with the novel coronavirus, some of our services are only available to a limited extent.
Our AVATAR project enables our patients to take part in live lessons from their hospital bed. The AVATAR "sits" or stands in place of the sick child in the classroom. The young patient can access the AVATAR via a mobile device and take part in the lessons live - and more importantly: he can see his classmates, his friends, whom he may not have seen for many weeks, talk to them and have fun.
The AVATAR can be used flexibly via Wi-Fi and the mobile data network, and its ease of use means that it can be used by primary school pupils from Year 1 upwards.
We are currently able to provide 10 patients with the important and helpful work with the AVATAR.
A parents' breakfast is held weekly on the ward in the multi-purpose room on Wednesdays, where parents and children can get together, exchange ideas and receive advice and encouragement from the board members present. In addition, there is usually a parents' coffee in the afternoon for the same purpose.
The construction of our parents' house on the grounds of the Medical School - within walking distanceof the Children's Hospital - will make it possible to accommodate 20 families at the same time in the near future. The construction of this parents' home has been a project close to our hearts for many years and we are very proud to now be able to realize this heartfelt project. The ground-breaking ceremony is planned for fall 2025. The construction of our parents' house will enable us to further expand our "parents' apartments" offering and create the best possible place for our affected families to retreat and take a deep breath.
During the child's inpatient treatment, we provide parents who do not live near the MHH with 3 apartments and 3 four-room apartments in the immediate vicinity of the pediatric clinic. This provides 12 families with a beautiful and well-maintained second home free of charge during their treatment.
The parents' room is available as a retreat. Here there is the opportunity to talk to other parents and exchange ideas. Coffee machines, microwaves and refrigerators are available. The "Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung" newspaper is available daily.
The work of our artist Rainer Mörk makes it possible to paint, draw or be creative with the children and young people several times a week. Feelings can be processed and everyday hospital life is interrupted.
For each treatment procedure, the children are given a bead that symbolizes exactly this procedure. The beads are threaded onto a long string that begins with the child's name. Each necklace is therefore individual and tells the patient's story. The result is a diary without words.
Facilities or Institutions and play materials in the playrooms and waiting areas are designed to provide children with stimulation and variety. An extensive audio book library provides exciting entertainment on days when the children are not very active.
The sports program serves to maintain the everyday activity of children and young people. It boosts self-confidence and encourages patients to compete with themselves by setting achievable goals. They train with sports scientists in the MHH fitness area, which we have set up especially for children.
The families and employees of the department get together at a big summer party and New Year's brunch. We also organize the "Day of Hope" information event together with the Department.
After surviving therapy, the Forest Pirates of the German Childhood Cancer Foundation invite children and young people with cancer to recreational camps in the Heidelberg city forest, which are not based on medical but on experiential education. With sports and games, a high ropes course, canoeing or creative activities, the illness fades into the background and the children regain their self-confidence. Should health problems arise, the Waldpiraten children receive the best possible care from the Heidelberg University Clinical Department.
Talk to us - give us a call!
| Function | Name of |
|---|---|
| Managing Director | Frederike Ludwig-Lück |
| Employee | Jennifer Tréboute |
| Janina Hein |
| Contact via | Number / Address |
|---|---|
| Phone number | +49 511 5547785 Friday: 8:00-14:00 |
| Fax | +49 511 5547784 |
| krebskranke-kinder-hannover@t-online.de | |
| Internet | www.verein-fuer-krebskranke-kinder-hannover.de |
Board of the Association for Children with Cancer Hanover
| Function | Name |
|---|---|
| 1st Chairperson | Anke Mayer |
| Deputy Chairwoman | Georgia Mysegades |
| Deputy Chairwoman | Irma Plünnecke |
| Treasurer | Christian Blöhs |
| Secretary | Birgit Großmann |