Fate struck the family

“There are days when I just can’t take any more”

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17.11.2024 13:00

His mother has cancer, his father is severely diabetic: the family of 16-year-old Marco from Upper Austria, who has multiple disabilities, has reached its limits. His mother says: "There are days when I just can't take any more". Nevertheless, the Upper Austrians are fighting their way through, but they need help.

There are families for whom fate cruelly strikes several times - as it did for Doris (52) and Bernhard (54) from the district of Grieskirchen. After the couple had already raised two children, Marco was born 16 years ago - as a latecomer. But it soon became clear that the little man - he was a premature baby - was different. But it took a few years before it became clear what was wrong. "He has an extremely rare genetic defect," says his mother. As a result, Marco has several serious illnesses. The worst are the epileptic seizures.

"He has them several times a day and if they are very severe, they can be life-threatening," says his dad Bernhard. If a seizure lasts longer than 30 minutes, the emergency doctor has to come. That's why the doctors even dared to perform an operation to separate the lobes of his brain, but the seizures persisted. Marco is wheelchair-bound, autistic, has spasticity and is at the intellectual level of a five-year-old. Marco has already had to be resuscitated twice.

Marco weighs 70 kilos and has a wheelchair that weighs 30 kilos. His father Bernhard therefore needs a hydraulic ramp to get him into the car. (Bild: Einöder Horst/Horst Einöder/Flashpictures)
Marco weighs 70 kilos and has a wheelchair that weighs 30 kilos. His father Bernhard therefore needs a hydraulic ramp to get him into the car.
The family had a bed built to protect Marco when he has one of his seizures. (Bild: Einöder Horst/Horst Einöder/Flashpictures)
The family had a bed built to protect Marco when he has one of his seizures.

A hydraulic ramp is an important aid
So it's no wonder that the family's everyday life is exhausting. Also because Marco now weighs 70 kilos. "We often have to take the car to doctors or therapies. We have a ramp to get Marco into the car, but we can barely manage to push him up," says dad Bernhard. That's why they urgently need a hydraulic ramp, but they don't have the money for it at the moment - it would cost several thousand euros.

Mom Doris proudly shows off her sunshine. (Bild: Einöder Horst/Horst Einöder/Flashpictures)
Mom Doris proudly shows off her sunshine.

To make matters worse, the parents have also been struggling with health problems for years. Bernhard was what is commonly known as a "bear". However, the policeman has lost 30 kilos in recent years. A diabetic condition causes him enormous pain and he has to take medication regularly. He has been on sick leave since November 1.

Mom fights cancer
Mom Doris has been hit no less badly. The 52-year-old has been battling cancer for many years. New metastases are constantly being discovered, in the spine, intestines and breast. "But nothing has been found in the breast recently," says Doris, remaining confident and combative. Nevertheless, she has to fight back tears every time she visits the "Krone". "There are days when I sit down in the evening and just can't take any more. I used to weigh 90 kilos, now I'm down to 45," she says. The family receives help from facilities such as the Mobile Children's Sickness Aid (MOKI).

The 16-year-old has a big dream: he would like to undergo dolphin therapy like he did once before - when he had no epileptic attacks. (Bild: Einöder Horst/Horst Einöder/Flashpictures)
The 16-year-old has a big dream: he would like to undergo dolphin therapy like he did once before - when he had no epileptic attacks.

"He is our sunshine"
Because his parents also have to go to the doctors time and again, Marco needs expert care. If the 16-year-old is well, he spends half the day at the Caritas St. Pius facility in Peuerbach. "He's our sunshine and a real fighter," says his mother.

Please help too

Dear readers!

If you would like to help in this case, please make a donation to our "Krone" special account at Hypo Oberösterreich under the reference "Rampe":

IBAN: AT76 5400 0000 0040 0002

BIC: OBLAAT2L

Donors can also 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 tax-deductible!

Dolphin therapy as his greatest wish
His parents now want to fulfill Marco's greatest wish: "When he was six years old, we did dolphin therapy. It lasted two weeks and he didn't have a single seizure. As soon as we got home, it started again," says dad Bernhard. Every day Marco passes the pictures from back then, laughs and says that he wants to go back.

This article has been automatically translated,
read the original article here.

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