Hiker Monique de Haas from Erica has had to stop her journey of 5,000 kilometers to Jerusalem. She will spend the coming time in the rag basket with an acute hernia. Her friend Barry Gepken will continue.
De Haas had already been taken to a hospital in Germany on Tuesday because of the hernia. “There she was on the IV and she was given medication,” says Gepken. “We still had hope that there was a miracle cure, but that turned out not to be the case. We went through the scenarios and decided that I will continue. Monique will first take a rest.”
“She doesn’t need surgery right away,” Gepken says. “It’s more a matter of rest and good therapy.” The walkers started their journey to Jerusalem together with dog Maurice at the end of June. Last week they arrived in the German state of Thuringia.
“Monique is a go-getter, but you also have to be sensible and say: now it is no longer possible. What we do is also difficult”, Gepken realizes. “In addition, many accommodations are bad, we are often not comfortable. That also plays a role.”
“There is still plenty of time for her to recover and reconnect. We are not giving up yet,” said Gepken. But it’s also a switch for me now. You want to walk this together, so of course this is nothing. Walking alone is fine, but it’s more fun with the two of you and the dog. I am now symbolically walking in front of the three of us.”