An unforgettable sightseeing flight: eight -year -old boy enjoys freedom!

An unforgettable sightseeing flight: eight -year -old boy enjoys freedom!

Erlangen, Deutschland - It was a very special day for the eight -year -old Johann, who suffers from a tumor. On July 24, 2025, he was allowed to fly over Central and Upper Franconia in a small plane. An event that gave him unforgettable moments and moved his family very much. Dr. Volker Melichar, pediatrician and hobby pilot, had the idea for this sightseeing flight, inspired by a newspaper article about the children's palliative team, with which he used to work at the University Hospital Erlangen. According to the motto "Why not connect the pleasant with the useful?" he wanted to give Johann a break from the sad everyday life.

Johann's sightseeing flight took about 30 minutes and offered him the opportunity to see his home village, his house and even his school from a bird's eye view. In addition to Johann, his mother and Dr. Roman Raming, doctor in the children's palliative team. The flight route was carefully coordinated with the small passenger in advance, so that everything went according to his wishes. The flight started in Herzogenaurach and led via Erlangen to the Upper Franconia.

a flying break

When Johann got out of the plane, he was overjoyed. "It was one of the most beautiful moments of my last time," he beamed. Dr. Chara Gravou-Apostolatou, the spokeswoman for the children's palliative center, also described the afternoon as unforgettable. This flying break may have left one or two thoughts of the illness behind, at least for a short moment. Financial support received Dr. Melichar from the committed association "Hullu - together strong for palliative care children e. V.", who is passionate about the concerns of sick children.

Such experiences are not only important for the individual, but they also shed light on the health care of children and adolescents with cancer in general. A current guideline published by the Working Group of the Scientific Medical Societies (AWMF) emphasizes the need for improved palliative care in inpatient and outpatient contexts. The aim is to control symptoms in young patients: optimize inside and increase their quality of life. The focus is on topics such as coping with pain and shortness of breath, supplemented by the pre -planning of therapy decisions and the development of effective care structures.

The importance of palliative care

The AWMF guideline is designed to raise a doctor: inside and non-medical suppliers to the palliative care needs of children and adolescents. Relatives and affected families are also part of the target group, which should benefit from these recommendations. By increasing security in recognizing and treating pain and strengthening the cooperation between different specialist disciplines, the quality of care is to be significantly improved. This shows that it is important to be aware of both in the medical field and beyond and to work for the concerns of those who are often faced with serious illnesses much too early in life.

dr. Melichar plans to take another young patient in the children's palliative center in July - peppered with the hope of bringing him a little ease into the everyday struggle against the disease.