The story of an ice cream shop – and the courage to dream

There are not many opportunities, where being blind is among the desired skills. Then what do you do? You create your own job. That was what Marius Fog Holst Larsen from Torslunde did. Marius is 14 years old today.

Marius was born three months prematurely, and he was by the doctors not given many chances of survival, when he got a brain hemorrhage two days old. The cerebral hemorrhage caused him to become almost blind. But already then, Marius was a fighter.

When Marius was 12 years old, he began talking to his mother Bettina Fog Holst Larsen about the possibility to get a spare time job. They both knew that it perhaps was not the easiest task in the world to find. Instead Bettina got the idea to start up an ice cream shop at home in the garden in Torslunde. She posted on Facebook – and the help came from neighbors and family who donated wood and other building materials. Flügger heard about the project and donated the paint – and in June 2016 Marius opened his ice cream shop.

But how do you run an ice cream shop when you are blind and can’t read the names of the ice creams on the go? There is also a solution to that. At Marius’ ice cream shop the ice creams do not have names but numbers. It makes it easier for him to find them in the freezer. He has also got to know the coins with his hands – and the banknotes he can perceive the differences. Marius mother Bettina says: “We are convinced that the nerves in the brain find new ways. Marius’ sight has improved because the ice cream sales job has exercised his brain”.

It is now the third year of the ice cream shop. Marius attends it when he feels like it – and he feels like it nearly every day. Opening hours are announced on Facebook. During the three years the ice cream shop has received great attention, and many people come from near and far, friends, family, others and even celebrities visit the ice cream shop.

The project with Marius’ ice cream shop shows us that you can travel down new paths when you are handicapped. In Marius’ case he is blind – but you can have other handicaps. What is important, is the courage to walk other paths and have an open mind towards the challenges that will come. Most often there is a solution. And it's a learning that Marius and others can bring along. In any case Marius has the courage to dream about what his occupation is going to be when he grows up. For the time being his dream is to become an electrician.

Brand Ambassador from Flügger, Lone Nordby says: ”We at Flügger are extremely happy to support Marius in his project which shows that a sight handicap – or any other handicap for that matter – are not necessarily a hindrance in finding meaningful occupation in the long run. The project with Marius’ ice cream shop shows us that with small initiatives and a little help from the surroundings you can get the courage to dream – and thereby make a difference for the individual.”