Our Journey
Every family has a story. Ours changed forever on November 22, 2019.
ā” When Everything Changed
Our son, KristiƔn, was just 17 years old when he was involved in a serious car accident while travelling home from school as a passenger.
He suffered a severe brain injury, and from that day on, nothing was the same for our family.
At first, we could hardly understand what was happening or what lay ahead. We lived from day to day, trying to understand KristiƔn's condition and hoping for every, even the smallest, sign of improvement.
KristiƔn spent a long time in hospital, including time in intensive care. His injuries were very serious, and nobody could tell us what his future would look like.
For us, however, there was never a question of giving up.
We simply had to keep going.
ā Bringing KristiĆ”n Home
In August 2020, KristiƔn was finally able to come home.
At that time, we were still living in our original apartment. It was small and simply not suitable for caring for someone with KristiƔn's needs. There was not enough space for the equipment he needed, and caring for him in such a limited space was extremely difficult. There were also four flights of stairs between our apartment and the outside world. Taking KristiƔn outside was impossible.
But it was our home.
And when KristiƔn was finally able to come home, we did not want to say that it was impossible simply because the conditions were not ideal.
So we made it work.
We adapted what we could, found solutions for the limited space, and did everything we could to give KristiƔn the care he needed.
At the same time, we already knew that this could not be our long-term solution.
ā Finding a New Home
Even before KristiƔn returned home, we had started looking for a house that could give our family more space and provide a better environment for his future.
In the spring of 2020, we began searching for a new home. Eventually, we found a property that felt right for our family and decided to buy it.
The property included a large piece of land of approximately 4,000 mĀ².
There was just one problem.
The house needed a substantial renovation before we could move in.
So while we were caring for KristiƔn in our apartment, we were also working to prepare a new home for our family.
It was not always an easy time. We had everyday family life, KristiƔn's care, therapy, the renovation, and at the same time a great deal of uncertainty about what the future would bring.
But we continued.
In April 2021, we were finally able to move into our new home.
For us, it was much more than simply moving house.
For the first time, we had the space we needed to begin creating better conditions for KristiƔn and for our family.
ā Bringing the Garden Back to Life
The land around the new house was a completely different story.
It was large, but much of it had been neglected for years. When we arrived, much of the property was empty, overgrown, and had very little resemblance to the garden we have today.
First, we had to clear it, repair what needed repairing, and simply begin making the land usable.
Then, little by little, something else started to happen.
We began turning it into a garden.
We built raised beds.
We started growing vegetables.
We built greenhouses and polytunnels.
We planted fruit and berries, herbs, medicinal plants and flowers.
We also began experimenting with plants we had never grown before.
Year by year, the neglected land slowly became the place we now call de Beerhorst.
Today, the garden is much more than a place where we grow vegetables.
It has become an important part of our family life.
Working outdoors gives us a chance to step away, even if only for a little while, from the constant focus on care, therapy, and everything that has changed in our lives. It gives us a place to relax, regain our energy, and spend time together as a family.
The garden continues to grow and change with us. From the beginning, nature gave us something we deeply needed: a place to find moments of peace during a time when our lives were often anything but peaceful.
āæ Searching for the Right Therapy
Therapy has been an important part of KristiƔn's life from the very beginning.
Finding the right rehabilitation is not easy when someone has complex needs following a severe neurological injury. Many rehabilitation facilities simply cannot offer everything that is needed.
Over the years, we searched for therapists and places that could work with KristiƔn in ways that matched his needs.
Between 2023 and 2025, we regularly travelled with KristiƔn to intensive therapy programmes at a specialised rehabilitation centre. Each stay lasted four to six weeks, and during that time the centre became our temporary home.
These periods were demanding for the whole family, but they also taught us a great deal. We experienced first-hand the dedication required from both patients and their families, and we saw how continuous therapy, perseverance, and hope can make a real difference.
During those stays, we found much more than therapy.
We met extraordinary families whose lives had also been changed by serious accidents or neurological injuries. We formed friendships that continue to this day, and we remain in close contact with many of these families. We support one another, share the difficult moments, and celebrate the successes together.
Some of these families have even visited us at de Beerhorst, spending a few days with us not as fellow patients, but simply as friends.
We also built lasting relationships with several therapists whose dedication and professionalism inspired us deeply.
Today, two of them continue to work with KristiƔn every month. We are incredibly grateful that they make the journey to us. Their continued support has shown us how valuable regular professional therapy close to home can be.
But there is still a problem.
āæ Bringing Therapy Home
Our home is still just a home.
There is only a limited amount of space, and the possibilities for professional therapy are limited by the environment and by the equipment we can accommodate.
The therapists can do a lot, but we know they could do much more with the right space and equipment.
And that is where the idea of building a therapy space at de Beerhorst began.
We decided to build a small, non-profit therapy building directly next to our home.
It is not intended to be a rehabilitation centre or a commercial business.
It is primarily for KristiƔn.
We want to create a safe and suitable place where he can receive neurological therapy and physiotherapy without having to travel long distances for every therapy session.
The building will provide space for specialised rehabilitation equipment, including a ceiling lift system and other equipment that simply cannot be used properly in our current home environment.
It is a relatively small building, but for us it means much more.
It means the possibility of bringing more of the therapy KristiƔn needs directly home.
And because we know from our own experience how difficult it can be for families to find appropriate therapy, we hope that, when circumstances allow, the space may also help a small number of other families facing similar neurological challenges.
ā” No Family Should Walk This Journey Alone
Almost seven years of caring for KristiƔn have taught us that no family should have to walk this journey alone.
We know how difficult it can be.
But we also know how much difference it makes when someone is there to help, encourage, listen, or simply understand.
Along the way, we have received kindness, support and encouragement from so many people. We have met dedicated therapists, extraordinary families, generous volunteers, friends, neighbours, companies, schools and many people we had never met before.
Each of them has become part of our journey in some way.
De Beerhorst is our way of giving something back.
We know we cannot help everyone, and we do not pretend that we can. But if we can create a place where even a small number of families can find professional therapy, friendship, understanding, the peace of nature, and perhaps a little more hope, then everything we are building will have been worthwhile.
ā¦ A Garden for Everyone
There is another part of this vision that has become increasingly important to us.
Our garden.
For most people, going outside into a garden is something completely ordinary.
For someone who spends much of their time in bed or in a wheelchair, it can be much more complicated.
We want to change that.
Our long-term goal is to gradually make parts of the garden accessible to people using wheelchairs and other mobility aids.
We do not want to create a large rehabilitation centre.
We simply believe that nature should also be accessible to people who need care and assistance.
The therapy building can provide a safe place for therapy.
The garden can be the next step.
From bed to therapy.
From therapy to wheelchair.
From wheelchair outside.
And from outside into the garden and nature.
Our property is surrounded by nature and countryside. There are trees, plants, birds, changing seasons, and all the things that make being outdoors so different from being inside a room.
We want KristiƔn to have the best possible access to that world.
And if, over time, parts of our garden can also be enjoyed by other people with similar limitations, we will be very happy.
ā¦ A Community That Made a Difference
The response to the idea of de Beerhorst has been overwhelming.
Friends, neighbours, companies, schools, volunteers, and many people we had never met before have supported us in countless ways.
Some have donated money. Others have given practical help, organised fundraising events, offered materials or services, or simply encouraged us when we needed it.
Every act of kindness has brought us one step closer to making this vision a reality.
It has also reminded us of something we learned during the years of therapy: sometimes the greatest support comes from people who simply understand what another family is going through.
ā Growing Flora
Alongside this journey, we are also developing Flora, our growing collection of knowledge about plants, gardening, and healthy food.
What started as a personal passion is gradually becoming a place where we can share what we learn with others.
The garden has taught us a great deal about growing food, working with nature, adapting to changing conditions, and simply being patient.
In the future, we hope Flora will also become a sustainable family business, allowing us to spend more time together while continuing to support the wider Beerhorst vision.
ā¦ We Don't Know Exactly Where This Journey Will Take Us
After almost seven years, we have learned not to make big promises about KristiƔn's recovery.
His journey is his own.
There are still many things he cannot do, and he is not yet at a point where he can simply go out into the garden with us and start working there.
But that does not mean there is nothing left to hope for.
We continue with therapy.
We continue looking for new possibilities.
We continue celebrating the small things.
And we continue creating an environment that can give KristiƔn the best opportunities we can provide.
We do not know exactly what the future will bring.
But we know what we can do today.
We continue.
We improve things.
We keep building.
And above all, we will continue to be there for KristiƔn.
ā” Our Story Is Still Being Written
When we look back today, it is difficult to believe how much has changed since that November day in 2019.
Today, the therapy building, the garden, our plans to make it more accessible, Flora, and everything else we are building at de Beerhorst are connected by one thing above all.
Family.
We want to create a place where KristiƔn can live his life with as much comfort, dignity, stimulation, opportunity, and connection with the world around him as possible.
And perhaps, along the way, create a place where other families can find some of the things that helped us continue: professional support, nature, friendship, understanding, and hope.
What started as our response to something that changed our lives forever has grown into something much bigger. It has become a place where we can care, create, grow, and share what we have learned with others.
We don't know where this story will ultimately lead us.
But we know what we want to do with the life we have been given.
We will continue to be there for KristiƔn.
And we will continue to make de Beerhorst a place filled with life, nature, care, friendship, and hope.
That is our promise to ourselves, to KristiƔn, and to the future.
Welcome to de Beerhorst