She doesn’t care for politics, which is why Caroline van Kessel is very happy that she can draw attention to the chronic disease Q fever in The Hague this Budget Day. De Bossche has been suffering from it since 2010. “The House of Representatives sees Q fever as a closed file. It seems like it has been covered up.”
Caroline van Kessel has been invited by Ina Idema, the King’s Commissioner in Brabant, for the speech from the throne and a lunch in the Senate. “I was extremely happy. My mouth fell open in surprise, but of course I wanted that,” she says.
“We are not being heard by politicians in The Hague.”
She hopes to use the opportunity to point out to MPs how she thinks the flag should look. Q fever broke out in Herpen in 2007 and led to many deaths and even more chronic patients. Van Kessel: “There is a huge distance between politics and the people who have Q fever and especially how these patients feel. We’re just not being heard. It has been years since a minister from The Hague has visited patients. We have a strong feeling that they have no idea how we are doing.”
Of course she wants to achieve something in the conversations, without immediately spoiling the atmosphere. “We want recognition for what went wrong, some kind of reparation. We have become ill due to failed government policy and that has a traumatic effect. Apologize so we can move on. We have felt abandoned for years.”
“Income has been compromised and help is needed for this.”
But that is not everything. Van Kessel: “We also want financial compensation for the damage suffered. Because we are not recognized, we cannot rely on certain authorities. This has created a kind of poverty trap, with a loss of income. We need help for this now.”
“Finally, we want good aftercare and independent, scientific research. We are afraid that we are ignoring measures that may be taken for people with long Covid. That is not only a shame, but also incomprehensible.”
“Nothing can be taken for granted anymore.”
Her wishes have also been sent to all political parties, in the hope that Q fever will be higher on the agenda during the upcoming House of Representatives elections. “I really think that our disease is underestimated,” Van Kessel emphasizes. “I have little energy and am always in pain and that is not going away. I don’t know how I’m going to wake up the next day.” Preparing for the day in The Hague is also a challenge for her. “I have to take it easy the week before. My energy continues to compromise, nothing can be taken for granted anymore.”
But she accepted the invitation from the King’s Commissioner with both hands. In fact, as befits the third day of September, she even bought a special hat. “With a goat and a sheep on it, to show what caused all the misery.” A real political statement, Caroline van Kessel can laugh about it.
