ORH 2025 - Day 3 – Awakening to a New Life
Four Images – A Silent Record of Hope
From the first cut on the operating table to the small, twitching foot, to the delicate movement under the breathing mask – and finally a deep sleep in the recovery room.
These details tell a story that begins quietly and continues with a new breath.
Between Awakening and Relief – Arriving in the Recovery Room
The moment after the operation is quiet – but full of meaning.
As soon as a procedure is completed, the anesthesiologists take responsibility for the child. They accompany the patient from the operating table to the recovery room – under the strictest medical supervision.
They often carry the child themselves – in their arms, pressed very close to them, with the monitors in view, their hearts in the matter. It is an image that gets under your skin: a small creature, exhausted and dazed, wrapped in the protection of strange but caring arms.
The nurses are already waiting in the recovery room – calm, focused, ready. Here patients are monitored, warmed, and calmed.
As soon as the child is lying safely, the parents – mother or father – can also join in. Many hesitate for a moment, then stroke their child’s forehead and take a small hand in their own. The relief is palpable.
Some mothers cry quietly. Fathers just look – long, deep, speechless with exhaustion and happiness. A moment between tears, reassurance, and new closeness.
What is happening here is more than medical follow-up care. It is a quiet ritual of reunion – after a separation that was brief and yet changed everything.
After the Operation
The children lie very still – covered up, exhausted, still half dreaming.
And then that one touch: a hand on the forehead, a quiet sigh, a first look – between relief and endless love.
The Day After – Visit with Heart and Hand
The morning after is rounds. The doctors go from bed to bed, talking quietly to each other. It’s about the scars, the stitches, the wound healing – but it’s also about much more:
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To get a first look at a new face.
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To gently sense what once was.
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And to witness what begins now.
A Look That Says It All
Today was a special moment:
Dr. Tristan De Chalain, who had operated on a child the day before, met his little patient again during his morning round – for the first time since the operation.
The look was short but deep. He checked the seam, spoke calmly to the mother, nodded contentedly. Then he paused – not as a doctor, but as a person.
You could see it in his face: this is the moment he’s here for.
A child who came yesterday with fear is now lying calmly, slightly swollen, but on the way to a new life.
And the surgeon, who took the first step with a steady hand, sees that it was good.
A New Smile
A little girl sees herself in the mirror for the first time. Her face is still swollen, the wound is still fresh – but she is smiling.
Her smile is crooked, cautious – and beautiful.
The change is not just external. It begins where a child dares to be seen for the first time. And where a mother looks into her child’s face – and feels: the future can begin now.
Gratitude & How You Can Help
We would like to thank all of our sponsors, partners, and companions from the bottom of our hearts. With this seven-day newsletter series, we not only want to give you insights into our work on site, but also express our gratitude.
Your support makes this mission possible. Through your commitment, you give hope – and change lives. Thank you for taking this journey with us.
This is how you can help – directly and effectively:
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