That’s why she decided to do it differently. No more hand-me-downs, but new clothing, purchased with the help of the Friends of Tergooi Foundation. “I think I place an order four or five times a year,” says Corine.
Behind the scenes
Corine is someone who says ‘just act normal, then you’re acting crazy enough’. So she actually thinks that attention is being paid to her initiative is a bit exaggerated. Corine prefers to do her work quietly.
“Someone once asked: do you have grateful patients? They will be happy that they leave the tent well dressed, but no one knows that I do that. And that’s fine with me. I’m more behind the scenes.”
Self-esteem
Yet her colleagues certainly see what her initiative means. “It’s a small gesture,” says Nicola. “But it does a lot for patients. It gives people back their self-esteem.”
Corine will retire in a year. Her wish is simple: that the cupboard continues to exist. “It’s just part of good care,” she says. “If you want to treat patients as full human beings, you also have to ensure that they leave dressed. Not that they have to get into a taxi in a surgical gown and uniform trousers.”