For several weeks we have been supporting the Berlin project “Initiative Rosi”, which is being implemented at the Charité. With this project, the initiators Prof. Jalid Sehouli and Tina Müller are committed to enabling women suffering from cancer to have a more respectful and colorful everyday life during chemotherapy. The aim is to collect enough money through donations to redesign the therapy rooms in the women's clinic at the Charité Berlin in such a way that the stressful and debilitating treatments are balanced out. Among other things, a crowdfunding campaign enabled existing measures “such as: B. the light and scent concept” can be financed.
We at Wholey feel it is our duty to contribute something to the project, given the severity of the fight against cancer and out of respect for those affected. For us, “sustainability” also means “social sustainability” and responsibility. Even if it only contributes a small part, we are pleased to be able to offer our smoothies to patients (and employees) free of charge with a Wholey freezer on site and thus contribute to a balanced diet and possible strengthening during chemotherapy .
In order to give you a precise overview of what the Initiative Rosi is all about, how you can get involved and what successes the project has already achieved, we conducted an interview with the chief physician, Prof. Jalid Sehouli:
Doctor Sehouli, please introduce Project Rosi to us, what exactly is it about?
Cancer therapies take time, take time from our patients and that's why we want to fill the living spaces, especially the therapy rooms, with more life and joy of life and make time more beautiful, hence our Rosi project.
Who actually is Rosi and how did the name of the initiative come about?
A few years ago the daughter of a patient came to me. The patient, Rosi Müller, had breast cancer and her daughter accompanied her to chemotherapy, which was great. Unfortunately, the patient died, but her daughter Tina Müller then came to me and asked: “Professor, can’t we make the rooms in the cancer treatment rooms more livable, more enjoyable?” and I took my breath away. No one has ever asked me whether we keep such an eye on our patients' therapy time. This was the starting point for the Rosi project. We want to achieve exactly that, so that the treatment time is not wasted, but rather filled with content and equipped with other framework conditions. That's why I'm so grateful. Many good and important things in our lives begin with conversations like this, like the one with Tina Müller.
They already raised a significant amount in a crowdfunding campaign last year. How has the money been used so far, what has happened on the premises in the last year?
Thanks to the great support of many patients, relatives and employees, but also of celebrities, we have actually managed to mobilize a lot of strength that benefits precisely these visions and helps to beautify the rooms. We installed scent installations and installed paintings. Fortunately, thanks to a donation, we received fruit for the patients, which we can offer them every day during therapy and we have changed a lot of the spatial structure, made rooms more colorful, and are now in the process of breaking through rooms, because space, fresh air and breathing are also very important. I am particularly proud that we have now got these things underway.
What is the response from the women affected who are treated here?
I think it is very important for women suffering from cancer that they are perceived as human beings, as a holistic person, and are not relegated to being a patient with ovarian or cervical cancer. It should also be made aware that what the women here are going through in an incredible way requires strength, energy, but also mindfulness and that is why I think that the change of perspective is necessary not only for us at the Charité, but for the entire world . We should treat patients with respect and humility who have to go through this difficult illness with all its negative effects.
How does diet play a role in the treatment of cancer patients?
Whenever cancer is diagnosed, the question naturally arises: what did I do wrong and what can I do to make myself feel better in the future? Diet plays a big role here. We know that we are not careful enough when it comes to nutrition. Because food hunts us - and not, as before, we the food. For example, we often eat too unconsciously. That's precisely why nutrition is an important topic for me and we have hired our own ecotrophologist specifically for this purpose, because we have found that nutrition is an important prognostic marker. In addition, many women are open to restructuring their diet.
In general, however, it can be said that no special cancer diet is necessary. However, it can be said that everything that is good for the cardiovascular system is bad for the cancer cells. So you have to look, what is healthy? And we all know that we eat too much meat, fat and sugar. During illness there may also be an opportunity to deal with the issue of nutrition in a structured manner. So we are of course very grateful for Wholey's great donation. The smoothies taste delicious, but you still feel like they are healthy. I think something is always “healthy” when it tastes delicious and, secondly, keeps the body from getting tired. I think harnessing the power of nature to get even closer to the WHO definition of health - physical, mental and social well-being - is exactly the right approach. And that's why I'm more than grateful for this support.
What do you think, whether or how Wholey's smoothies can contribute to a healthy diet?
Of course, there are many framework conditions that contribute to a healthy life. However, nutrition is always discussed because patients naturally want to change something and strengthen their health. You have to realize that nutrition affects the whole body. After all, if you have cancer, 99% of the body's cells are still healthy. So you should eat in such a way that your heart is happy, your liver is happy, your kidneys are happy, but your soul is also happy. Basically, we eat too much, eat too unconsciously and often don't know what exactly we're eating, or it no longer contains what we want. That's why I think Wholey's concept of shock freezing immediately after harvest is exactly the right approach, since we know that substances that catch free radicals in the body and thus prevent cancer are preserved in this way. The same applies to the taste, which is also preserved. Thirdly, I think it's great that with Wholey you can actually see what's inside. Basically, there is no THE cancer diet, but I think a diet based on fresh fruit and vegetables is a very good approach.
How can you continue to support the Rosi initiative?
The medical system is designed to always be on the lookout for deficiencies and hospitals are built that way. They are very purpose-oriented and structured in a very process-optimized manner. I think that people who are undergoing cancer treatment in particular need the spatial changes. The white may be effective when it comes to identifying dirt, but for us it's about colors, about spatial structures, about volume, but it's also about patients being able to communicate better with each other, but also being able to differentiate themselves. That's why we continue to need sustained support. We are grateful for any support.
We will soon be starting readings that will take place in the cancer therapy rooms, as many patients are too tired to read themselves. So we invite writers to read something to patients here. This includes world literature such as Dr. Zhivago etc. We also need additional financial resources to achieve these structural changes. We have to break through the walls. We have to change the light. Because there is also an influence on the immune system. So how much light comes to us or how natural materials touch us is also crucial. Of course, you need enormous economic resources, which are usually not covered by health insurance companies. We therefore want to use this clinic to achieve this change of perspective not only for Germany, but for the entire world.
And, last but not least: What is your favorite smoothie?
I personally drink cranberry juice every day, every evening, so I have a big preference for red berries. That's why Ban&Berries is my favorite smoothie.
Learn more / Sources:
https://frauenklinik.charite.de/ueber_die_frauenkliniken/initiative_rosi
https://www.eanu.de/post/initiative-rosi-für-besseren-therapieraum-an-der-charité-gestartet
