Families with one or more seriously ill children face incredible difficulties, especially as day-to-day life is marked by exhaustion and despair. Their situation is further compounded by social isolation and financial pressure. We feel families in this challenging situation deserve a shared break so that they can recharge their batteries and tackle daily life with renewed energy. That’s why we are committed to promoting pediatric hospice services and providing needs-based support for the families of sick children.

When a child is diagnosed with a life-threatening or life-limiting disease, their whole family’s life is turned upside down. Caring for a sick child pushes parents and siblings to their physical and mental limits. Burnout, depression and chronic exhaustion are often the result. Since the parents’ relationship takes a back seat, seven out of ten couples separate within the first five years. Siblings do not have it any easier. On a day-to-day basis, they are not only constantly sidelined and may even have to take on caring for the sick child, but are also severely traumatized in case of their sibling’s death. Unless the entire family makes a concerted effort to pull together, the challenges of a serious illness can feel insurmountable. Experts agree that shared periods of rest and relaxing breaks can benefit the family as a whole. Since conventional accommodations such as hotels lack the appropriate infrastructure and professional medical care, families are left without any real options, especially as there are no state-subsidized facilities.