For four decades, Fenrishus has provided a safe and caring environment for children and young people with complex disabilities and life-threatening illnesses. These are children and young people who need care and support around the clock.

– The children and young people here at Fenrishus are some of the most severely disabled and ill children in Denmark, says Anne Mæng, who, along with Ulla Monrad Jensen, leads Fenrishus.

Fenrishus, which today is the only facility of its kind in Denmark, was created based on a fundamental understanding that seriously ill children need more than just treatment. They need a home. A place with peace, familiarity, care, and close relationships.

Previously, many of these children were either hospitalized for long periods or cared for at home under difficult conditions. With the establishment of Fenrishus, a new framework emerged where high medical professionalism goes hand in hand with a homely environment and a deep understanding of each child's and their family's needs.

– The idea was to create a good and safe place – a place where parents could be assured that the staff would take good care of the child around the clock, says Anne Mæng.

This created calm and security for the parents. They knew that there was always someone to comfort the child if it woke up in pain at night, and that the child's well-being was in safe hands. This assurance allowed parents to attend to their work, be there for siblings, and live as normal a life as possible, thus having the energy to be with their sick child when they were at Fenrishus.

It is precisely this approach that has made Fenrishus a very special place for 40 years. And it is this thought that the place carries to this day.

– This is the foundation we continue to stand on. We are a palliative offering, not only for the children and young people here but also for their families. Our goal is to create the highest possible quality of life for the children during their time here. For the parents, it is crucial that the children have the very best life when they know they won't have them for long, says Anne Mæng.

Death is a part of everyday life at Fenrishus, and everyone is aware that the children are there on borrowed time. Therefore, the staff does everything to make their time as good as possible.

The ambition is to create a childhood with space for play, presence, and the small moments that give meaning and value. Here, the child is seen as a whole person, and the family as an indispensable part of the child's life.

– It is painful to be a parent of a seriously ill child, and it is also a difficult situation for siblings and grandparents. Therefore, we hold sibling and grandparent days, where they can reflect on each other's experiences and find comfort in community. We see how siblings come together and talk about having a sister or brother who lives at Fenrishus, says Anne Mæng.

New gathering place for the whole family

With a donation of 1.5 million kroner from Fonden Sol og Strand by Margit og Kjeld, it is now possible to establish a new play and gathering space – a place where families can find peace, be together, and create important moments in a daily life marked by illness.

The current playground is closed for safety reasons, and there is a significant lack of a meeting place for children and their families. The new gathering and playground will be built with a focus on ensuring that all children – regardless of abilities and needs – can participate in play and community.

Accessible paths and ramps, tables and benches with space for wheelchairs, as well as play equipment such as wheelchair trampolines, inclusive seesaws, and wheelchair swings will be established. The new initiative will be a place where life can thrive, and where families can be together.

– It is a dream come true. It gives families the opportunity to have a space for togetherness and experiences on the children's terms. They will have shared moments and memories to take with them – even when the children are no longer here, says Anne Mæng.

Fenrishus has a support association consisting of both current and former relatives. It is through this association that the funds from Sol og Strand have been sought. And the news of the donation was received with great joy among both relatives and staff.

– There was just jubilation, and we look forward to celebrating the inauguration when we mark our 40th anniversary on September 1st, says Anne Mæng.

TV2 Østjylland came by and was present when the founder of the foundation, Margit Andersen, delivered the good news to Fenrishus: https://www.tv2ostjylland.dk/aarhus/nu-kommer-milliongave-ee8d4