The Transplant-Kids e. V. association offers services for children, young people and their families.
Once a year, the association organizes a sailing camp in which only children with organ transplants and their siblings take part.
The 18 children taking part are aged between 6 and 16.
They let the wind blow around their noses on a flat-bottomed boat on the Ijsselmeer in the Netherlands.
A sailing ship offers the children great opportunities to gain experiences and skills that are not possible on land.
Much of the work on board is only possible through teamwork: setting sails, hoisting sails, sailing maneuvers.
Everyone finds a task and work here that is always part of the whole.
But you will also find time to chat with the other participants or simply chill out.
Sometimes there are surprising sailing maneuvers where everyone has to help, so it never gets boring.
They also learn a lot of interesting facts about life with a donor organ.
At the sailing camp, the children can spend their free time without their parents.
They have to lend a hand everywhere and can thus feel “normal”.
They learn to deal more independently with their “new” life after the transplant.
The siblings also benefit greatly from the camp, as they also have fears and worries that their friends often don’t understand.
On the ship, they can talk to like-minded people.
The team is accompanied by 8 counselors including a nurse, a doctor and two cooks.
The camp is mainly financed by donations, as the association has an information stand at various events almost every weekend.
The Karl Bröcker Foundation supports the camp financially.
Photos: (c) Transplant-Kids e. V.
