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Reimbursement via funds because: giving up is not an option

Because the CloudCuddle bed tent is not reimbursed by health insurance companies, as a parent you sometimes have to be creative. And persevere. Reimbursement through funds can be an option. Mother Saida talks about her journey from pillar to post. With a happy ending in the end.

Saida and Nuri. A proud mother with her son. Like so many mothers and sons. When they walk the streets together, you don’t notice it: Nuri looks like an ordinary boy of six, but mentally he has the level of a child of one and a half. He sees no danger, runs into everything and needs to be protected 24/7, even at night. So he sleeps in a bed box and Saida can never leave home for a night. Fortunately, she was finally able to purchase a CloudCuddle with the help of her neighborhood team and with a contribution from the Bishop Bluyssen Fund.

From pillar to post

“I lost count,” Saida explains. “How many times have I explained what it means when you can never leave home? Too many times! To tell you that it’s not an unnecessary luxury if others take over your care for a while. That a simple visit to family and friends is part of life. To be able to refuel and sustain care. Not to mention vacations. Many people don’t understand how much impact it has on your life when you have to care for someone 24/7. They simply push your question to another counter and send you from pillar to post.”

Help from community team to apply for reimbursement from fund

“After the umpteenth rejection, I presented my situation to the community team in Leidsche Rijn. There the idea arose to approach funds, including the Bisschop Bluyssen fund. This is a social organization for financially weak groups with a specific request for help. Together we filled in the forms and submitted the application. You have to be able to substantiate your application and provide medical statements. And very important: you have to be prepared to provide full insight into your finances, including bank statements. I did that and I haven’t regretted it for a moment. I am extremely grateful for the gift from the Bluyssen Fund.”

Network getting smaller

“With Nuri, you can’t see at first glance that he has a disability. As a result, I always have to explain everything more often. I know you can’t compare things and I’m genuinely happy with everything I do get, but it sometimes feels twice as hard. Having to fight that battle over and over again. I’m certainly not alone in that, although sometimes I feel quite alone. My network is getting smaller because people stop when you have a chronic need for help. But Nuri belongs to me and I will always take care of him. Giving up is really not an option.