Society likes its people to abide by its rules, comply with normality, and stay within what most consider a “conventional” setup. Anyone stepping outside these lines, whether because of sexual orientation or political views, often find themselves marginalised. This may happen even when people face problems as basic as a chronic illness, a divorce, or losing a job, one can quickly find oneself off the track that society knows how to handle. People we thought were close, even friends, can disappear very quickly in such situations. This kind of isolation can make a person who is already hurting feel even more lonely or stigmatised. Usually, however, the counter-effect of such situations and social abandonment is that small but powerful and innovative ideas are born, and sometimes these ideas can change lives for society at large.
To illustrate this, I want to introduce you to Nathalie Deldime. Nathalie is a cancer survivor who has created something that benefits many patients. At the same time, she faces the ongoing challenge of funding her idea. Nathalie has created a safe space where cancer patients and those supporting them daily can benefit from a range of wellness programmes and activities. Her association was founded on 1 May 2024 and offers physical, psychological, and social support through wellness services and activities that typically do not have medical insurance coverage. Whether it is through providing a massage or by an image coach helping one choose which colour suits them best during or after treatment, Revi-sens.be has one covered. Nathalie identifies various kinds of specialists and brings them on board to help patients and their ecosystems while living with cancer.
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| colorimetric sessions |
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| products to buy to help the association |
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| acknowledged by the Foundation against Cancer- a huge new step |
Participants can buy a card for 10 activities at a cost of 50 euros. Each 5-euro that one spends on an activity is supplemented by the association Revi-Sens who raises funds as best as possible. Lately, this association has even been acknowledged by the Cancer Foundation and belongs to the Cancer Care Houses network.
I wondered where someone who has herself gone through such a difficult time finds her inspiration. As I listened to Nathalie, I pieced together the story of a strong, empathetic, generous, and enterprising woman who chose to take on such a demanding commitment.
Nathalie grew up at a time when few of her peers had divorced parents. Her parents separated when she was seven. Her mother, with whom she lived, later fell in love with an American, and at the age of 11 Nathalie moved to the United States. The relationship did not last, and Nathalie returned to Belgium to complete her high school education. At 16, she and her father grew close again, and today, even after his passing, she maintains a good relationship with his widow.
After university, Nathalie worked in customer service at Europ Assistance and later moved into the translation world and ended up by chance in the pharmaceutical industry, more precisely with UCB SA where she spent 20 years. After COVID, she lost her job and became a freelance differentiated communication professional in April 2022. She started a company called, “power 2bee”, which focuses on valuing the differences people bring to the workplace and treating this as positive rather than unsettling or out-of-the-box. While she was thriving and delivering Process Communication Model® courses in 2023, she received the first alert about her illness during a mammography.
Almost immediately, Nathalie realised that not enough support was provided by existing systems. The wait between the scan and the results lasted about a week, during which she had little support either at home or from medical services. The sudden shift from a normal life to the possibility of an invasive operation, without a clear path forward, was difficult. She noticed that life around her continued as usual, while she was expected to simply stay strong and carry on. Fortunately, she had a friend specialising in sophrology who helped prepare her for the operation. At the hospital, however, she felt judged by staff, as though she was not coping well enough with pain.
On 7 March 2023, she underwent surgery and was discharged the next day. Returning home, the emotional distance between her and her husband became more pronounced, as neither her pain nor her sadness seemed fully acknowledged. While recovering, she still had to function normally, even cooking for her child, as being sent home is often equated with being able to resume everyday life. She was given two weeks of rest and found herself unexpectedly content in solitude. Unfortunately, follow-up tests required a second operation three weeks later. The prolonged physical, psychological, and social strain eventually led to the end of her marriage.
As Nathalie navigated life in 2024 on her own, she realised that society tends to assume one is “cured” once the medical issue has been addressed. People who were present during the illness often stop showing up. They stop asking questions. Many relationships break under such strain. Nathalie describes this phase as the “solitude of the cured.”
Revi-sens.be was created largely for this period, though not exclusively. It is a care house designed to support patients and their loved ones. It helps people navigate loneliness, helplessness, and even suppressed anger. In French-speaking Belgium, such centres are limited to remote places like Chirec Hospital Delta in Brussels or La vie là near Saint-Pierre Hospital in Ottignies, which are sometimes too far away and then the benefits of spending time with peers vanishes due to time-consuming and energy-intensive trips. Nathalie wanted to create something within her own region where nothing similar existed so far.
The association focuses on reducing distance, whether physical or relational, between people.
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| Relooking sessions |
Nathalie now works full-time and has created a physical space in her home where services are offered. She dedicates the rest of her time to securing funding for her project. She collaborates with local businesses that contribute products, and with artists who donate their work to raise funds and awareness. In recent months, she has managed to secure 85 percent coverage for services through various donors and funding entities, amongst which the Cancer Foundation.
She also hosts workshops at her home in the Braine-le-Château region on a regular basis. The next activity is a walk around and about the heights of this lovely small city with foodie stops that will take place on Saturday June 13th, from 13.00 to 18.00. A nominal contribution will be, again, a way to raise money to fund more activities.
What Nathalie hopes is to help people find meaning in these distressing moments of their lives. She encourages others to volunteer their time if they feel moved by her project, and not to hesitate to ask questions, whether they wish to help or need support.
No one should feel alone during such a fragile period. Nathalie stands as living proof that one can rise after falling very low, and can find purpose while meeting remarkable people along the way.
You can contact Nathalie (who speaks English and Dutch perfectly too) on her email nathalie.deldime@gmail.com or through revi-sens.be
Feel free to follow the FB page of the association below
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559511118946
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