The Parental Home improves the Mental state of both Parents and Children

In Tuzla, the construction of a parent’s house as part of the University Clinical Centre has begun, where families of children suffering from leukemia and other malignant diseases will stay during the treatment process. Federalna TV talked about the works, deadlines, and the importance of this house with Atifa Buldić Bešić, the spokeswoman of the Heart Association for Children with Cancer.

She says that the Parental House is the standard in treatment in Europe.

“It is something innovative that we will finally bring to the UKC in Tuzla. The project was started a long time ago, three years ago. There were a lot of problems, the pandemic slowed down the entire construction of the building itself. Lately there have been problems with inflation, about an increase in the price of construction materials by 60%, but somehow we managed to overcome everything successfully. We started with the second phase of construction, which includes the main part of the works.”

She points out that the opening could be at the end of this year or the beginning of next year.

“I can say from personal experience, as someone who stayed at the Parents’ House in Sarajevo with her daughter, both the doctors and medical staff and our parents who are currently in the hematology and oncology department of the UKC Tuzla at the Children’s Clinic can’t wait because that long-term stay in the hospital can sometimes have quite a bad psychological effect, both on the children and on the parents. The treatment itself is very demanding and long-lasting. The Parents’ House itself, leaving the hospital atmosphere, entering a family atmosphere, already improves their mental condition and helps them prepare for the rest of their treatment.”

Buldić Bešić states that the Parents’ House in Tuzla will have five accommodation units and common rooms.

“It is very important for us to reduce the daily expenses that parents and families have in as many ways as possible.”

photo: parental house in Sarajevo