In the summer of 2025, I survived an attack by a flesh-eating bacteria. I did have a gaping leg wound after 8 surgeries and had to learn to stand, walk, climb stairs and cycle again at De Hoogstraat Rehabilitation Center.

To learn to walk freely without a walker, my balance had to be trained. Occupational therapist Andy used, among other things, mixed reality movement games. The most fun and useful game was “catching butterflies”. You have to plant four colors of butterflies as quickly as possible on four colors of flowers in four different flower boxes. However, the butterflies fly everywhere: high, low, left, right and behind you. So you have to quickly turn, bend over, stand on your toes and move from left to right. A very fun and above all good exercise to train your balance.

Just before I left De Hoogstraat, Andy had me do a “butterfly catching” contest with my wife. So she could see for herself the modern techniques De Hoogstraat uses in rehabilitation. And above all: my wife was playfully shown that my balance was fine again and that she could look forward to my return home with peace of mind.