German youth bring hope to terminally ill children in Romania

€27,000 donation supports lifesaving care and comfort at Dr. Carl Wolff Children's Hospice

(LWI) - Youth from Germany handed over a symbolic check for €27,000 to Ortrun Rhein, director of the Dr. Carl Wolff Children's Hospice in Sibiu, Romania, during a visit to the facility.

The money was collected over two years by the youth of the Evangelical Church in Central Germany (EKM), a member church of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), and the youth from the Evangelical Church Berlin-Brandenburg-Silesian Upper Lusatia through their joint “Lifetime Children's Hospice in Romania” fundraising project.

“It was a great success for the youth to collect such a respectable sum for our children,” said a delighted Ortrun Rhein. “I cannot overemphasize how much we need this help!”

At the children's hospice, 15 nurses and a doctor work with children whose life spans have been limited by incurable diseases. A maximum of 10 beds are available. The facility of the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Romania, is the only children's hospice in the country where terminally ill children can be cared for around the clock.

Comprehensive care and support

“The children are often neglected by their families and relatives,” said Christian Liebchen, EKM officer for congregational youth work. “The hospice staff not only attends to their medical needs but also gives them loving care and pastoral attention. It is also part of the children's hospice's policy to accompany the children beyond death and to enable them to be buried in a nearby cemetery.”

According to Liebchen, the donation will be used primarily for basic medical supplies and the purchase of equipment such as syringe pumps for pain therapy: “This equipment makes the work of medical staff much easier, as it allows the dosage to be automated.” This contributes to improved care for young patients and allows staff time for other activities.

Ortrun Rhein explains: "Our goal is to create a space where children and parents can share moments of joy and sorrow, say their goodbyes, and experience happy times together. This project aims not only to support sick children during their difficult times but also to raise awareness about the struggles these families face. Many families in Romania are overwhelmed by the challenges of caring for their sick children and need assistance due to the inadequate social system."

Giving an example, she spoke about an eleven-year-old girl: “Every action is a struggle; every successful hand movement is a success. She is happy here with the nice bed, the bath, the shower. She does not know any of this from home. In the village where she comes from, not all streets have a sewer system, and therefore no bathrooms or toilets in the houses. The family is very poor. Even trips to the doctor are an adventure in a wheelchair on the unpaved village roads.”

The girl has difficulty breathing due to her lung disease. Nevertheless, says Rhein, she is “brave, she laughs with everyone. She is practicing holding a spoon in her hand all by herself. The children's hospice is a home and a safe space for the children and their parents.”

Project sparked many questions and a great deal of engagement

Christian Liebchen said that this fundraising project had prompted many questions and a great deal of commitment among youth in the EKM. “We often had to explain what a hospice is,” he said. “And in many of our youth and confirmation groups, it was an opportunity to reflect on suffering, death, and dying – even as a young person.”

Through dealing with this topic, several youth were motivated to do more than merely transfer the collected money. They wanted to go to Sibiu in person. “This visit to the children's hospice touched us deeply; we gained profound insights into this special ministry,” said Liebchen. And it has sustainably strengthened the ties between the EKM and the Romanian church.