Our Life with Milly

In September 2019 the gravity of life also began for our Milly. The last few months have been marked by the selection and registration of schools. For Markus and me it was always clear that we didn’t want any inclusive schooling for Milly. The care and nursing effort would be too high, therapeutic services are not available at a regular school.

It is also important to us that our child is welcomed and accepted as she is and not just tolerated. After many years of controversial discussion about inclusion in schools and the lack of conditions for successful inclusion, it was not difficult for us to decide on the Martinsschule in Ladenburg near Heidelberg.

The Martinsschule is a school for physically handicapped children, which also focuses on “mental development “. It is well equipped, and there are therapeutic facilities on site, such as physiotherapy, a Snoezel room, a swimming pool, etc.

Milly is also taught in small groups with a very good supervision key. There are even children’s nurses for caring or in case of emergency or illness on site. Since we do not know how the further course of the disease will be, it reassures us to know that Milly will always be well looked after in such a case.

After the admission interview and the school visit last year, it was soon clear to us that this would become Milly’s school. She was also warmly recommended to us from all sides. In the meantime we had received the approval of the school authorities and completed the school admission.

On 16 September 2019 Milly started the school adventure. However, the children, some of whom have a very poor health, are expected to do a lot. Unfortunately, we parents of severely handicapped children are not left with much choice when it comes to school and can be happy if a suitable special school is reasonably close to home. The catchment area of the Martinsschule is therefore very large, many children have long distances to travel.

In our case, proximity means a 20-30 minute drive by car from our home to the school in Ladenburg. Milly takes advantage of a transportation service for severely handicapped people, which is, however, more than 60 minutes per journey (!), as four more children have to be taken along and picked up from home. For Milly the school day starts in the morning at 07.05 am when she is picked up by the driver.

After such a long journey many of the children are very exhausted. So is Milly when she comes home in the afternoon at about 16:30. So far everything went very well. Our great concern that Milly would not withstand the long journey in a wheelchair was fortunately not confirmed. She likes to go by bus and can hardly wait for it to start in the morning. The other children and the loving manner of the driver and co-driver certainly make the journey time very sociable and entertaining.

We can’t say anything about the lessons yet. But every child is supported according to their individual abilities and that is very important to Markus and me. In this short film of the RNF, you are welcome to get your own impression of the Martinsschule.

Heidelberg, 19 September 2019