Credit: Ali Sahib, Chronicle.lu
On Friday 31 July 2026, Nestwärme Luxembourg Asbl took part in the Luxembourg stage of the Children's Life Run, an international relay campaign aimed at raising awareness of children's hospice care.
Around 50 people participated in the event, which started outside Boutique-Café Léa Linster on Rue de l'Eau in Luxembourg City with the symbolic handover of the "Angel's Torch", before continuing towards the Gëlle Fra (Golden Lady) and the Philharmonie. Among those attending were Nestwärme Luxembourg President Léa Linster, Vice-President Dirk Hense, Luxembourg podcaster and influencer Nadine Robert, representatives of Nestwärme e.V. Deutschland, supporters, volunteers and partner organisations.
Nestwärme Luxembourg is a non-profit association based in Wasserbillig that supports families caring for children with chronic, serious or life-shortening illnesses or disabilities. Chronicle.lu attended the event, which also brought together representatives of Nestwärme e.V. Deutschland ahead of the opening of the new children's hospice in Trier in November 2026, which will serve families across the Greater Region, including Luxembourg.
Speaking to Chronicle.lu, Henry Munster, Member of the Advisory Board of Nestwärme Luxembourg Asbl, explained that the Luxembourg event formed part of the wider Children's Life Run relay taking place across several European countries. "Today's event forms part of the wider Children's Life Run relay," he said. "By doing this, we thank the supporters, the donors, and also raise awareness in Luxembourg. It will take a lot of effort, but we have to keep going. Otherwise, those families will never get the support they need."
Elisabeth Schuh, Founder and Vice Chair of Nestwärme e.V. Deutschland, explained that the organisation focuses not only on seriously ill children, but on supporting the entire family. She noted that parents often require emotional and psychological support over many years, while siblings can feel isolated because they rarely meet other children facing similar situations. Nestwärme therefore organises resilience workshops and peer-support activities to help families strengthen one another and realise they are not alone.
"It's not the concern for the child only, but for the whole family," Elisabeth Schuh told Chronicle.lu. "When siblings and parents meet others with similar experiences, they realise they are not alone, and that is incredibly important."
The Children's Life Run, organised by Germany's Bundesverband Kinderhospiz e.V., began on 16 April 2026 and will continue until 10 October 2026. During the campaign, the Angel's Torch is carried from one organisation to another across Europe to promote awareness of children's hospice care. This year's edition marks the first time the relay has crossed Germany's borders to include Luxembourg, Austria and Switzerland.
According to Elisabeth Schuh, an estimated 3-5% of children live with long-term or life-limiting illnesses, yet many affected families remain largely invisible because they are fully occupied with caring responsibilities and rarely speak publicly about their situation. She stressed that raising public awareness remains one of the organisation's main priorities.
