Brave girl

Anna (14) jumped off death’s shovel several times

Before Anna's former heart lost more and more of its strength, she was a cheerful girl who was also active in sports.

(Bild: zVg)

The 14-year-old Upper Austrian girl urgently needed a new heart to survive. During the transplant, however, she suffered several strokes. She had to be resuscitated several times and hovered between life and death for days. As a result of organ failure, she now has to undergo regular dialysis and needs a wheelchair. Her parents' house has to be adapted for the disabled.

The medical history of 14-year-old Anna from the Linz-Land district is littered with tragedies. The schoolgirl has managed to jump off death's shovel several times.

"I totally admire her, she has an extremely strong personality," enthuses her mother Sandra (38). She has been worried about her daughter's health ever since Anna was born with a serious heart defect (hypoplastic left heart syndrome).

Resuscitated several times
Over the past year and a half, however, things have become really dramatic. Anna's heart was barely working, she had to be resuscitated several times and her only chance of survival was a transplant.

After the heart transplant, Anna suffered a series of life-threatening setbacks.

(Bild: zVg)

"On April 2, we finally got the call that we had a heart. We immediately went to Vienna, where the operation started at 3.30 pm." The operation lasted until 5.30 a.m., and at first everything looked positive. "The new heart beat immediately and didn't need any support." 

Four days later, Anna was woken from a deep sleep - but she was confused and coughing heavily. While her upper body was very restless, the girl was not moving her legs. "I immediately thought something was wrong," says Sandra, who raised the alarm with the doctors.

Anna had to spend seven months in hospital after the transplant.

(Bild: zVg)

An MRI confirmed her suspicions: Anna had suffered strokes in the brain and in the spinal canal of the spine during the transplant. The result: incomplete paraplegia from the pelvis downwards.

Organ failure
Coughing fits may have caused a vessel to open in an artery in the posterior lung. Anna lost a lot of blood and needed a huge amount of blood. Her lungs, liver and kidneys failed. "The doctors said that there was nothing more they could do in terms of intensive care. It was now up to Anna alone whether she would make it."

Anna celebrated her 14th birthday in the intensive care unit and encouraging banners were hung up for her.

(Bild: zVg)

The girl spent 13 weeks in intensive care and bravely fought her way back. But on the eve of May 1st, her heart suddenly went into fibrillation, Anna suffered a cardiac arrest, needed 13 shocks with the defibrillator and was resuscitated four times. The 14-year-old survived this too.

Anna will probably be dependent on a wheelchair for the rest of her life

(Bild: zVg)

Open wounds and permanent nausea
After seven months in hospital, she and Sandra were finally able to return home, where their sister (17) was eagerly awaiting them. However, Anna needs regular blood transfusions, her immune system is low, she has to undergo dialysis, has open wounds from lying in hospital for so long and vomits several times a day.

Unfortunately, the worries do not diminish for single parent Sandra: the house needs to be adapted for disabled people. Estimated cost: 90,000 euros. 

Dear readers!

If you would like to help in this case, please donate to our "Krone" special account at Hypo Oberösterreich under the reference "Heart transplantation":

IBAN: AT76 5400 0000 0040 0002; BIC: OBLAAT2L

Donors can choose to be published in the print edition of the "OÖ-Krone". However, if you wish to remain anonymous, please state this explicitly when making your payment. Your donations are also tax-deductible!