Heart's wish fulfilled: 79-year-old celebrates at the Bayreuth Folk Festival!

Heart's wish fulfilled: 79-year-old celebrates at the Bayreuth Folk Festival!

The Bayreuth Folk Festival 2025 was not exactly short on surprises. The festival took place without a marquee, without a Ferris wheel and even without a taxi stand. Instead, a new security concept was implemented that asked visitors to celebrate without large crowds and in accordance with current regulations. Despite these changes, there were also bright moments that warmed the heart.

One such example was a 79-year-old woman who was receiving palliative treatment and fulfilled her heart's desire to attend the folk festival. The good soul was brought to the festival grounds with the Hospice Mobile of the Bavarian Red Cross. The BRK Heart's Wish Hospice Mobile has specialized in fulfilling the last wishes of seriously ill people and thus making this special day for women come true.

Make your heart's desires come true

The hospice mobile offers a fully equipped ambulance that not only provides transport, but also constant emergency medical monitoring and care. The equipment includes, among other things, a stretcher chair, a nursing stretcher, a defibrillator and even a ventilator. This equipment ensures that patients can enjoy maximum safety and comfort whether they are sitting or lying down. It is admirable how BRK volunteers, including doctors and paramedics, dedicate their commitment to the service of these people.

In order to fulfill a wish, it must be registered with the Red Cross in advance. A committee consisting of the management and experts from the BRK district association in Bayreuth then assesses the request and makes decisions in consultation with the treating doctors. These wish fulfillments are free of charge for the patients and are financed through donations, which shows how important volunteer work in palliative care is.

Happy holidays

The woman in question spent two hours full of joy at the folk festival, accompanied by a volunteer BRK team who ensured that her visit was safe and pleasant. “I’ve been looking forward to this day for three weeks,” she said, “it was just beautiful.”

The positive response predominates, even if the festival took place differently than usual. Visitors experienced a harmonious atmosphere and many were grateful that such a festival was taking place despite the challenges. Difficult situations like that of the 79-year-old woman make it clear how important it is to fulfill such people's last wish and give them the opportunity to create beautiful memories.

In times when life often only consists of hectic everyday life, such moments have a special value. Outpatient hospice services and inpatient hospices that rely on voluntary work not only support the dying, but also their relatives. Thanks to statutory health insurance companies, many of these services are financially supported so that seriously ill people can be supported sustainably in the final phase of their lives. A dignified death and the fulfillment of honest wishes are at the heart of palliative care - an aspect that we should not lose sight of.