During her 2011 visit, Elisabeth Hirmer accompanied staff in the hospice and on home visits. One patient told her how much she looked forward to Fridays, when her three children came to see her. At the hospice, she also found people who made time to talk.
A little girl remained serious at first. When Elisabeth moved a toy boat across the table, the child began to laugh. They could not speak with each other, but play helped them connect.
Later, on a home visit, Elisabeth met a woman who winked at her. Elisabeth winked back. She remembered this quiet exchange long afterwards. The newsletter does not name these patients; the photo shows Elisabeth, not the patients in the story.
Source: newsletter no. 31 (2012), pp. 4–6, recounting a 2011 visit: www.bsg.org.za/fileadmin/Files_sites/Malteserorden/bbg/privat/rundbrief-31.pdf