The "crown" helps

When a stitch turns your whole life upside down

First little Tobias had to be put into a coma and now he is confined to a wheelchair.

(Bild: zVg, Krone KREATIV)

There are strokes of fate that leave you speechless and deeply saddened at the same time. A family of five in Feldkirchen, Carinthia, had to cope with one of these. A tick bite first put eleven-year-old Tobias into a coma and now the boy is confined to a wheelchair.

It all started with a supposedly harmless headache: "I didn't think anything of it at the time," says mom Daniela, describing the beginnings of a tragedy that would turn the single mother's life completely upside down. Her son Tobias' condition quickly deteriorated: "Dizziness and nausea set in, then he started to stutter." The alarm bells finally rang for the 39-year-old care assistant and the 11-year-old had to be taken to hospital by ambulance.

Shock for the whole family
After just one week, the doctors had no choice but to put the boy into an induced coma - the diagnosis: TBE (tick-borne encephalitis) caused by a tick bite! "My son was in a coma for two weeks - I didn't know whether he would survive," says the mother.

An incredibly hard time for the family of five. Tobias not only has a twin brother, but also two younger siblings: "Without the help of my mother and our neighbors, I wouldn't have been able to do any of this," says the 39-year-old gratefully.

A picture of the family from happier days.

(Bild: zVg, Krone KREATIV)

Although the boy is awake again, his life is different now: "TBE has severely affected his brain, his meninges and his spinal cord." After eight weeks in intensive care, he still has to be ventilated, is in a wheelchair and is paralyzed on his left side.

"Mentally, however, he is fully recovered. Now it's time for rehab in Salzburg, he has to relearn everything," says mom Daniela.

Sometimes I just want to run away crying, but we have to get through a lot now!

die verzweifelte Mutter im „Krone“-Gespräch

The doctors predict a recovery period of one to three years: "Sometimes I just want to run away crying, but we have to get through a lot now," says the mother-of-four emotionally. A wheelchair-accessible car has to be purchased, care and therapies also hit the wallet. The other children also need support: "I've tried to explain everything to them. But of course the situation is taking its toll on them mentally!"

How you can help
The "Krone" wants to help the family in their time of need - make a donation under the code word "Tobias" to at least ease the financial worries of the family in distress.

Account RLB Kärnten, IBAN: AT45 3900 0000 0591 9006

The "Krone helps": This is a campaign of the non-profit association "Krone readers help"; every donated cent is passed on quickly and unbureaucratically! Guaranteed.

Donations are tax-deductible. Please enter your full name and date of birth. We will report this to the tax office.

Donations without a password or after the end of the respective campaign can be used for other aid payments. All information here.