Dutch charity grants 25,000th final wish for terminally ill patient
Stichting Ambulance Wens, a Dutch charity that fulfills final wishes for terminally ill and immobile patients, has reached a milestone by granting its 25,000th request. The 49-year-old woman, Wendy, was taken with her daughters from a hospice in Doetinchem to the beach at Noordwijk aan Zee, “a place she loves and always enjoyed visiting,” the organization said. The outing allowed the family “to be together, enjoy the sea air, and make memories,” NOS reported.
The milestone had been anticipated, though the exact timing was uncertain. “In the first weeks of this year, fewer wishes came in due to winter weather and snowfall. Last week, however, requests increased rapidly,” the organization said.
On the same day, the charity fulfilled seven additional wishes. A 79-year-old man visited his caravan at a campsite in Assel, and a 75-year-old woman traveled with her husband to her son’s new home to celebrate her granddaughter’s birthday.
Founded in 2007 by ambulance driver Kees Veldboer, Stichting Ambulance Wens arranges roughly 2,000 wishes per year with the help of more than 300 volunteers. Each trip is accompanied by a driver and a nurse to ensure patient safety.
Veldboer conceived the idea in 2006 while transporting a terminally ill patient whose pain treatment had been delayed. He and a colleague took the man to the harbor in Vlaardingen to watch ship traffic and later arranged for him to go on a boat ride, fulfilling his final wish. Veldboer died in 2021 of a heart attack. His son, Kees Veldboer Jr., now serves as the charity’s director.
