She, together with her nephew and journalist Filip Van der Elst, wrote a book about the experience: Intensief. Tussen leven en dood op Intensieve Zorg. How does that affect a person, always surrounded by death? ‘It is an everyday reality. You have to strike the right balance between staying human and your professional common sense. Even in that cool, high-tech environment, you have to remember to keep on seeing patients as people, amongst all the tubes and wires.'