Dreams are not fraud, at least not for clients of the De Baan Foundation. The Haarlem volunteer organization has been devising activities for people with disabilities for fifty years and the Dream Cloud project is one of them. In this anniversary year, how appropriate, the fiftieth dream cloud comes true in a Zaandam bridal shop.
Hans is absolutely crazy about wedding dresses. He has collected eighty at home himself. But with his limitation, it is not possible to work in a bridal shop. Until today. He can realize his dream in bridal shop Wed2Be in Zaanstad. “My aunt Cor is in the fashion world. I just think it’s beautiful. My eyes are in tears, I think this is so beautiful.”
He is allowed to choose a dress for two ladies, so that their dream also comes true. Yara has wanted to try on a dress to get married in for years, but because of corona that had to be postponed. The photo she sends her boyfriend should help him cross the threshold to actually propose to her. “I think he is jumping for joy”, she says with a smile as she shows the dress that Hans has chosen.
In white in the photo
It doesn’t matter to Ria whether she gets married in it, but she would love to have a picture in white. Or actually the dress should have been pink. But that’s not in fashion right now. “You are now very modern”, Cor Speelman whispers in Ria’s ears, supporting her in front of the mirror. The rollator does not need to be in the photo.
Cor is the driving force behind the Dream Cloud project. To his own surprise, he has now realized fifty. “When I started with it, I thought ‘if we get to about ten, we’ll be better’. And before you know it, you’re suddenly at fifty.”
Together with clients of Stichting De Baan, Cor does his utmost to make dreams come true. Because the project is also being carried out by people with disabilities. For example, Tessa can be found in many dreams with a microphone in her hand, to dream together with two cameramen to capture. Then the dreamers can relive their day again.
Still dreaming
According to Cor, many dreams have to do with what people would like to become in life, such as ambulance personnel, policeman, or musician. “It is often things that if they had no limitations, they would have become. Like Hans, who would have become a salesman in a bridal or menswear store without limitation.”
Ria continues to dream about that pink dress for a while. Yara waits for her Prince Charming to propose. And Cor secretly dreams of the hundredth Dream Cloud.
Watch an earlier report from NH Nieuws about Claudy’s mermaid dream below.
Claudy’s mermaid dream comes true thanks to Cor – NH/Geja Sikma