'I look back on the relief action with a sense of pride. It was a bizarre reality. That we could do something from the Máxima Center during a terrible war. It was an extraordinary experience for me,’ says Kathelijne Kraal. ‘During the flight I was allowed to use the public address system to welcome the families and tell them that we were going to the Máxima Center to continue their treatments. There was also a moment on the flight back from Krakow when I looked around and saw that all the patients and parents had a place. We could take them to a safe place, away from the war and the bad medical conditions. There was a kind of serene calm on board. I will never forget that feeling of relief.’
Support
Three weeks later a second group arrived and now there are 52 children from Ukraine being treated at the Máxima Center. Kathelijne: 'In general they are doing well. All children have been able to continue their treatment, sometimes slightly adjusted according to our findings. The families stay with a host family. From the beginning of the relief action we have received a lot of support from people inside and outside the organization and that is still the case. Fortunately! Gradually we have encountered issues that we take up together. For example, there were changes in housing, more interpreters had to be used and we have to learn to deal with palliative care for this group.'
Challenge
Asked about the biggest challenge, Kathelijne immediately says: 'I don't have to think about that for long: the files! It was a big challenge to get the patient files on time. These came from St Jude Global, via a database ('Unicorn hospital hub'). With that, we were able to create Hix numbers and actually get started. The files did not arrive until the evening before the first flight. Another challenge was to have the script ready. For the second flight the script had to be meticulously adjusted to the later arrival time and all the organizational consequences. By now the script is completed.’
International office
‘The start of the (newly opened) International Office was initially hectic and dynamic: in a short time we were joined by many Ukrainian families,' says Kathelijne. 'We are now growing steadily, with some international patients. Time is again created for our strategy: to further increase the number of children for treatment in some six categories. For this we need to further perfect the process and the application procedure. The good thing is that after the arrival of the Ukrainian children, the International office is now an integral part of the Máxima Center.’
Dynamics
Is it extra busy in the Máxima Center with a large group of children? Kathelijne: 'It is always dynamic with us! Relatively speaking, this group is only a small part of the entire organization. We do have a language barrier so that the outpatient clinic process, for example, takes more time, but we manage well with interpreters, translation apps and new information material. With a little patience and helpfulness from everyone, things are going well. Currently, we are busy working with the municipality of Utrecht to find suitable accommodation, as the host families are requested for three months. And, there will always be challenges, but I think the Máxima Center is very good at that!'