Erika Müller Foundation BREMER ENGEL

The BREMER ENGEL (Bremen Angels) initiative of the Erika Müller Foundation is a mobile family support service for seriously ill children and their families. Our BREMER ENGEL team consists of eight specially trained pediatric nurses, a psychologist, and an art therapist who create the professional and personal conditions necessary for seriously ill children to be discharged from the hospital to their families much sooner. This supports the healing process or at least makes it a little easier to bear a serious illness. At the same time, parents and siblings are also helped by being offered social and psychological support.

Crucially, the same nurses care for the affected child both in the hospital and at home. Unfortunately, our complex public healthcare system offers no support for this type of mobile, home-based care for both patient and family. Therefore, private initiative is essential – and this is precisely what the foundation strives to provide through its work. The foundation relies on your donation to ensure the sustainability of this initiative.

MOBILE FAMILY SUPPORT FOR SERIOUSLY ILL CHILDREN: THE BRIDGE CARE PROGRAM OF THE BREMEN ANGELS.
When children become seriously ill, it often becomes a difficult situation for the whole family. Young patients need affection and seek trust – they need a kind of help that no health insurance covers. A gap in care opens up between hospital stay and home care, which can only be filled by bridge care.

The mobile pediatric nurses of BREMER ENGEL work half their time on the wards of participating partner hospitals and the other half visiting their young patients at home. Mobility is key to their work, as continuous visits to patients and their families build trust and provide access to emergencies that would otherwise remain hidden.

New courage: Social and psychological support

One of the goals of the Bremen Angels is to provide psychological and social support to affected patients and their families. Medical and nursing care is part of the professional oversight and responsibility of the partner clinics. Equally important, however, are the emergencies and domestic problems caused by illness. Often, simple support such as help with schoolwork, childcare for siblings, or providing household help can make a significant difference. Sometimes, the mere presence of someone who simply paints, crafts, makes music, reads aloud, or just listens to the children is enough to make the suffering more bearable. Therefore, a crucial pillar of the Bremen Angels' work is the provision of psychological support by qualified professionals – for the patients, but also for their parents and siblings.

The range of services offered by the social and psychological support provided by Bremer Engel:

• Psychological support
• Child therapy
• Individual and family therapy
• Sibling care
• general social support in emergencies caused by the illness

Notice Board:
What our families need…
Families often have limited financial resources and lack even the simplest things – a crib, children's clothes, or a microwave for warming baby food. If these items are taking up space in your attic or basement and you've been meaning to declutter, we would be delighted if you would contact us. The only requirement is that the items are in good condition and that you provide them to us free of charge.