HumanRise helps families affected by diseases

Text: Michaela Medveďová / Anna Pawlowicz Pics: HumanRise FB Page

When someone in a family is affected by a mental or a physical illness, the effect is rarely only on them. Quite the contrary, these illnesses affect the entire family. HumanRise, a charitable organisation founded by the Schelde Frederiksen family, understands that. They offer both legal assistance and human support along with events for children of parents affected by illness.

For HumanRise, it’s about putting people first - people who “stand up and insist on moving forward strengthened”.

Their mission? “With legal advice and human support, we will work to ensure that patients with different diagnoses get a dignified and effective clarification of their ability to work and the basis of support in contact with the job centre system. At the same time, we will give children of parents affected by illness the necessary freedom via happy events and networks,” states the organisation about their primary purpose.

Who is behind HumanRise?

The organisation was founded in 2021 by siblings Louise Schelde Frederiksen and Rasmus Schelde Frederiksen. Louise is a lawyer and Rasmus is responsible for operations within HumanRise. As their father suffered from an illness, they have experienced first-hand what families go through. This, in turn, inspired their desire to help others who are in a similar situation: “When their father became ill, they lost their childhood home - and their father lost his life's work and subsequently himself to a complex welfare system. They don't want that to happen to others. They will offer the advice and support they themselves lacked to families affected by illness, accident or disability.”

Who do they support? Who can receive help?

HumanRise wants to support families going through major upheavals caused by illness to navigate the illness itself and the demands of the welfare system at the same time:

“People affected by the disease today encounter a complex job centre system, where coordination, advice and help are not a matter of course. This means that, at the same time as illness and treatment, a way must be found in a legal jungle of requirements, availability, unpredictability and clarification.”

HumanRise helps people with various diagnoses and provides legal assistance in job centre cases. Patients with a case at the job centre can request free legal assistance through a form on the humanrise.dk website. The organisation also continuously offers help in their “HumanRise” app through helpful articles or access to ask legal questions in the chat.

Additionally, the organisation acts as a public voice for people and families affected by illnesses. In its campaign towards politicians, HumanRise proposes a change to the current system of job centres. HumanRise’s website contains dozens of testimonies from people who, after getting sick, got stuck in the bureaucratic net of the municipality’s job centre for years on end.

To change the current situation, HumanRise is advocating for a 2-year case processing guarantee. According to their proposal, a holistic plan needs to be in place at the latest 8 weeks after the person gets in first contact with the municipality. If there is no possibility for them to get a regular job after the 2-year period, the person needs to be evaluated for flexible jobs or early retirement. HumanRise also advocates for sick people within the job centre system to be able to work the hours they can instead of spending time in company internships or municipal projects.

On top of the legal assistance they provide, HumanRise also focuses on the children of parents who suffer from an illness - “a sadly overlooked group”. To participate in the events for children or those affected by illness, you can register at their website.

Would you like to support HumanRise in their work?

Donations—from people and businesses—can support the organisation's work. You can also become a member for a yearly fee of 500 DKK to help HumanRise help more families.

They are also looking for volunteers for their legal team - so if you are a practising or retired lawyer or are currently studying for your Master’s in Law, you can contact them through their website!