– He is with me, even if he is not. Because he died. Elin Andersen sits in her kitchen in Hamar. There are only days until she gets on the plane to Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic. She is a senior physician at Ahus. Now she is going out on her very first mission for Doctors Without Borders, until her son Håkon is on the table. It has become a kind of memory book. Here, the mother enters the trips she has been on since he passed away last year. Now it will be with her to Africa. – Håkon was a boy who really wanted to get out into the world and travel. He received this passport only ten days before he died. Elin includes it to honor his wanderlust, she says. And to have him close. WITH YOU ON THE TRIP: The passport to Håkon is one of the first things Elin Andersen packs before leaving for Bangui. The story of Håkon Håkon was the second child in a group of three siblings. Mora tells of a generous and fun-loving boy who cared for everyone around him. She remembers one time when he was visited by his group of friends: – He had such big arms. He somehow found room for everyone in one big group hug. But in his teenage years, Håkon started experimenting with various drugs. He developed drug addiction. An illness that he struggled with for several years. But in the period before March 2020, things went better. Håkon started his secondary school at Ski, and moved to a dormitory. BELIEVE IN THE FUTURE: Håkon was a fun-loving young man who had faith in the future. But during the pandemic he had to be alone a lot. Then the drug problem returned. Photo: Private That’s how small it is. The corona came to Norway, and everyone had to isolate themselves. Keep your distance from others. The opposite of what Håkon and many other young people strive to fix their lives. “When the meter becomes exactly the distance from the bed to the front door, thoughts can become short. Cut short”, wrote Elin Andersen in one of the most read chronicles on Ytring nokosinne. When it was published in January, Håkon had already been dead for over half a year. He was found in his bed in the dormitory on 4 May 2021. He had taken tablets to sleep, but did not wake up again. – He didn’t want to die, says the mother. He had too many plans for the future. Håkon only lived 20 years. An old dream. And an endless sorrow Ever since she was a student, Elin Andersen has thought that one day she will go out and work for Doctors Without Borders. In 2021, he was ready. The kids were big, and it seemed to be going well. The last papers were signed on 4 May 2021, just hours before she learned that Håkon had died. – That says it all about what a lightning strike this was for us. They didn’t see it coming. No one knew that Håkon was speeding again, alone in the dormitory. Not the mother either. – We thought things went better with him, she says quietly. GRIEF: – Grief doesn’t go away, but life still has value, says Elin Andersen. Photo: Arne Sørenes / news Sorga is still bottomless. Without end. She blames herself. Every day. – You are failing in your primary task as a mother, then. That your child will live. There is a lot of self-loathing in it, which is very difficult to live with. For Elin Andersen, it’s about living with grief. Finding pegs in life that give meaning. Something to do that takes your mind off the meaningless. – But I’m not traveling to Africa to recover from grief. For that, the work is too demanding. The responsibility too great. You have to stand firmly in your shoes to travel. – And I do, says Elin Andersen. Travels to one of the countries that receives help from the TV campaign Elin Andersen is a senior anaesthetist. Anesthesiologist. Expert in relieving pain. Now she travels to one of the world’s poorest countries, ravaged by civil war for several decades. – I would like to believe that I will meet many people who have faced greater and more brutal losses than what I have done. The Central African Republic is one of four countries the organization Doctors Without Borders focuses on during this year’s TV campaign on news on Sunday. Secretary-General Lindis Hurum has himself been on assignment there several times. She tells about a country where the healthcare system has major shortcomings. – There are big challenges and people have problems getting to a hospital or doctor when they need it. IN THE FIELD: Lindis Hurum is a doctor and general secretary of Doctors Without Borders. She has several stays behind her in the Central African Republic. Photo: Rebecca Blackwell / Ap Men Hurum also says that it is rewarding to work under demanding conditions: – The people there are just like you and me. They dream of not surviving their own children, and of getting well when they are sick. And there is a great need for doctors, and especially anesthetists like Elin Andersen, who can help during operations. Elin Andersen looks forward to working with young patients. To help women who bleed after childbirth. Or assist with caesarean sections. – It will be great. Ensuring women have a safe birth will be great, she says. Now he is ready. To meet and alleviate the pain of others. She has experienced it herself, and is happy for the opportunity to contribute. – For my part, I am happy that the “Doctors Without Borders project” started before Håkon died. I talked to him a lot about this, and know that he wanted me to carry it out. I’m taking him with me on the trip now. PS: The evening before departure, Elin Andersen sends this message to the journalist. It can stand as an invitation to all of us. Elin Andersen: Take care of your herd, everything starts and ends with it.
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Lost the zone during the pandemic – now the doctor from Hamar will help young women in Africa – news Innlandet – Local news, TV and radio
