Our guest in our podcast: Claudia Staudt as a caring mother

In the latest episode of our Sinnklusion podcast, ‘What does the care of children with disabilities look like in everyday life?’, Claudia Staudt tells her moving story and provides insights into her life as the mother of a foster child with disabilities. Despite their unfulfilled desire to have children and numerous bureaucratic hurdles, Claudia and her husband decided to take in little Lena as a foster child. Lena, who was born prematurely and has infantile cerebral palsy and severe spasticity, has completely changed the family’s life.

‘It was love at first sight,’ says Claudia. When she and her husband saw three-month-old Lena for the first time and held her in their arms. They grew so fond of Lena that the thought of putting her in a home was simply unthinkable. They fought passionately to become Lena’s parents. And after a period of uncertainty, they were allowed to take over Lena’s care. At that point, one thing was clear to them: the challenges would be great, but their love and determination would be even greater. Claudia Staudt sums it up aptly: ‘Lena was the best decision of our lives.’

Claudia on family life

But who is Lena, anyway? Lena is a remarkable girl who lives a full life with her disability. She is eleven years old, loves maths, roller coasters, reading and skiing. Lena is curious, loud and full of joy. ‘Her incredible sense of humour always makes us laugh. She is empathetic and always makes an effort to make others feel good,’ Claudia says gently. ‘She loves to give personal gifts to her grandparents and cousins with loving care. Lena is just an amazing person, and we are so grateful to have her in our lives,’ Claudia continues.

In our podcast episode, Claudia shares her experiences and strategies for maintaining her optimism as a caregiving parent. She talks about the downsides: the endless therapy and doctor visits, the bureaucratic struggles and the everyday challenges that come with living with Lena. And she talks about the joyful moments: therapy progress, special people and the little things that make every day with Lena so special.

A development full of strength and will

The older Lena gets, the more Claudia and her husband discover her incredible strength and willpower. Although she relies on the help of her foster parents, that doesn’t stop her from taking on new challenges. ‘Lena shows us how important it is to express your emotions and to be authentic,’ says Claudia.

Particularly now during puberty, Lena is intensively exploring herself and her biography. She asks questions about her birth parents and scrutinises everything around her. Every day brings new and valuable experiences for Lena and her parents. The family is constantly learning where their individual limits lie and how important understanding and love are.

For more insights into Claudia’s work and her commitment beyond her family life, you can listen to our podcast ‘Sinnklusion’. Every month, we discuss a new topic related to the everyday life of families with children with disabilities.