Close to people | Stories from Bethel
Colourful baubles and a pinch of glitter
Lenny stands in front of the large shelf, still a little undecided. Blue, yellow, purple - with so many colours to choose from, it's not that easy. He takes a close look at each squeeze bottle and finally reaches boldly for a red one. "Shake it vigorously," encourages occupational therapist Svenja Alf. The four-year-old grasps the bottle with both hands and swings it up and down, smiling. The little boy, who has cancer, can hardly wait to get started. Christmas is coming soon, and the large Christmas tree at Bethel Children's Hospital still needs lots of colourful baubles.
Lenny is very brave
Lenny presses a thick blob onto his polystyrene ball, dips a long wooden brush into it and spreads the red colour. Lilla Fastabend watches her son and smiles. "I'm very proud of him, he was very brave and did everything really well," she says. When Lenny was diagnosed with a brain tumour, a world collapsed for the Fastabend family. Discussions with doctors and therapists in Bethel helped and gave them courage. The chances were good. The operation promised success and the chemotherapy worked. A few months later, there was a setback: the tumour had returned. "Everything started all over again," says Lilla Fastabend. Surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy - while other children his age were digging in the sandpit or playing in the playground, Lenny's everyday life consisted of hospital stays, medication and infusions.
"I'm very proud of him, he was very brave and did everything really well."
He can get away from it all in occupational therapy. Lenny paints, does handicrafts and kneads. Pain and anxiety are then forgotten. Sometimes his twin brother Finn accompanies him. "He's a bit jealous when we go to hospital," says Lilla Fastabend. He thinks it's so great how Lenny can play there and would love to do the same. Although Lenny is not yet as fit as his brother, he is making good progress, says the mum of twins. "He was still very thin and weak until recently. He has now put on weight again and looks healthier. His hair is also slowly coming back."
Lenny has now added a vibrant blue and a bright green to his Christmas bauble. But what would Christmas be without glitter? "Shall we sprinkle some more on top?" asks the occupational therapist. The little patient nods eagerly. "It's snowing," sings Svenja Alf, sprinkling golden powder generously over the bauble. "More," the four-year-old shouts enthusiastically and hops up and down on his chair. Suddenly, Svenja Alf swivels the glitter jar and sprinkles a pinch over the boy's head. Lenny chuckles happily. He has glitter in his hair and on his glasses. All his worries disappear for a moment.
Text: Christina Heitkämper | Photos: Christian Weische
This story simply told
Lenny is four years old. He had a brain tumour, which was removed in hospital. Lenny is already doing much better, but he still has to attend regular therapy sessions and check-ups at Bethel Children's Hospital. He also attends occupational therapy. His favourite things to do there are painting and arts and crafts.
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Contact
Children's Centre at EvKB / Gilead House I
Burgsteig 13
33617 Bielefeld
To the annual donation project "New Bethel Children's Centre"
Offers & services
The Children's Centre at the Evangelisches Klinikum Bethel (EvKB) covers the entire spectrum for young patients aged 0 to 18 years. Whether illness or injury, acute or chronic, physical (somatic) or psychiatric - the EvKB offers the right individual treatment concept for all medical requirements with its outpatient, day-care and inpatient services.
