The meeting
We met Madam in September 2022, after a colleague from the network referred her to us. She had been living on the street since 2017, in a train station where she had found shelter after being thrown out by her ex-partner.
She often talks to us about her country of origin, the warmth, the ocean and the food.
She dreams of going back there, but not without her children.
Very quickly, she recognises us each time we pass by and remembers our conversations. Little by little, she opens up, asks us questions about our lives and a relationship of trust begins to grow.
Taking care of yourself
Hygiene quickly becomes a difficult subject. Madam has a strong smell of urine but refuses to talk about it and becomes defensive when we bring it up. Eventually, she is even refused entry to certain cafés.
We have to wait until January 2024 before she agrees to get into the car with us and discover a sanitary facility. And then, a surprise: she loves the place. The coffee, the soup, the cleanliness, the large shower and the small hygiene products all appeal to her. Above all, we discover a very elegant woman who likes to take care of herself. She returns there several times.
From that point on, we are also able to talk about her health. She suffers greatly from pain in her knees and eventually agrees to see a doctor, then to have an X-ray. The diagnosis comes: she has osteoarthritis.
We also discover that her health insurance is not in order. After several discussions, she accepts our help to regain access to her social rights.
A long winter
At the end of the summer, a poorly communicated change of schedule weakens the relationship. She is not ready for the appointment at the CPAS, does not feel presentable and refuses to come. She then tells us that she no longer wants to see the doctor.
The following months are difficult. We continue to maintain the relationship without rushing her. Winter arrives and her health deteriorates. In the station hall, the cold becomes increasingly difficult to bear.
We are worried, but Madam keeps telling us that everything is fine.
Spring
A few days after the arrival of spring, her condition becomes critical. She is struggling to breathe, is disoriented and incoherent. This time, when we suggest calling an ambulance, she agrees.
She remains in hospital for a month and a half. The beginning is difficult: she is wary of the healthcare professionals, refuses certain treatments and has difficulty trusting them. The visits and the work with the hospital team gradually help to calm the situation.
She grows stronger, starts walking and smiling again. She appreciates our visits, even if she often prefers to get back to her television and asks us: “Is that it? Are you finished?”
After eight years on the street, she discovers the comfort of a bed and a room. But above all, she realises that she no longer wants to return to living on the street.
“Madam, would you agree…?”
We then suggest that she move into a residence.
She agrees.
With the help of the hospital social worker, a meeting is quickly organised. After a few steps and the appointment of an administrator of her assets, Madam is finally able to move into the residence.
She finds a safe place there and slowly begins to settle in. She is already talking about her wish to one day have a home of her own.
Things are not always easy, she keeps her character and her habits, but she is there. And after eight years on the street, that is already a huge step.
Our colleague and doctor Pierre (✞) often helped us keep going at times when the relationship seemed fragile. He reminded us that slowness was part of the support process. With Madam, we had to accept moving forward at her pace.
Today, she is living in a residence.
And for her move, of course, she made herself look beautiful like a flower.
Little by little, the bird builds its nest.
- Inès, social worker in Liège
Supporting Street Nurses means sustaining the work of our field teams.
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(*) We do our utmost to respect the privacy of our patients and our professional secrecy. However, we want to testify to how they must survive and how we are working together to reintegrate them. As a result, the names of places and people are deliberately omitted or changed and real-life situations are placed in a different context. There is no direct link between the photos and the stories above.