It’s a ritual. Every evening when Tanja Hahn puts her daughter Lea Sophie to bed, she says goodbye to her – because it could be the last time she sees her child alive. “I’ll kiss her on the cheek and tell her I’ll be happy when we meet again tomorrow,” says the woman from Steyr.
Your child suffered from life-threatening meningitis in the first few weeks of life. Streptococcal bacteria spread all over the body in the blood, eating away at Lea’s brain, even though her mother had all the tests done. Doctors declared Tanja’s baby brain dead and gave her a maximum of four weeks to live.
Today Lea is ten years old, 110 centimeters tall and severely impaired several times. She cannot sit, crawl, eat, speak, or see. On the other hand Lea can distinguish and hear voices very well, better than her “little” sister Emilie (7), and communicate with sounds. “When I put Lea in bed, but still want to cuddle her, then she always makes a certain noise,” says Papa Gerhard Herndl.
Fought back to life
Despite a nasogastric tube, stool enema and ventilator, his daughter has not lost her humor. When Lea is not in the mood for physiotherapy, she pretends to be asleep. When the therapist is gone, she opens her eyes again.
Emilie takes loving care of Lea
Image: Volker Weihbold
“Did it again,” says her mom. Lea gives a shrill laugh and beams up to both ears. “She is a sunshine and shows us every day how valuable life is. We are a happy family and we want to encourage other people that life with a disability is not over, but can also be beautiful,” says the 46-year-old Mother.
But there are also difficult times. The family reached its low point two years ago when Lea developed severe cerebral hemorrhage that could not be stopped. The family commuted between intensive care and normal wards for five long months. “During this time we as parents could only stand by helplessly and hope. Lea has fought her way back to life, for herself and for us too. But if one day her little heart stops beating, then it can be. We tell her also: ?? If you can no longer, you can go ?? “, says Tanja with tears in her eyes.
After Lea’s renewed struggle for survival, the woman from Steyr gave up her job as a saleswoman in order to fill the time she had with her ten-year-old daughter with nice moments and to support her husband with the elaborate 24-hour care. Shortly after Lea’s birth, he shut down his security company, which employed twelve people and up to 80 temporary workers. Now Gerhard works as a house technician in addition to caring for his child.
But despite their difficult fate, the family does not always meet with understanding. “Here in Steyr alone there are many severely disabled children who are simply not seen because affected families are afraid of the eyes of others. But I think we have to go out and show that we exist,” says the 46-year-old.
Hans Eidenhammer (r.) At the handover of the car in Burgkirchen
Photo: Manfred Fesl
“Great Relief”
In the modest car of the family of four – a two-door – Lea could not be transported so far. For this reason, the OÖN-Christkindl made contact with Hans Eidenhammer. The retired car mechanic from Burgkirchen in the Braunau district has already given away almost 60 cars to families who have suffered severe blows. He handed over a handicapped-accessible station wagon to the Hahn-Herndl family, in which Lea’s wheelchair and rehab buggy also fit. “The car is a huge relief for the whole family,” say Tanja and Gerhard. You can’t really grasp your luck yet.
One TV Message You can see about Hans Eidenhammer from Innviertel and the handover of the handicapped-accessible car to the Hahn-Herndl family from Steyr, which was arranged by the OÖN-Christkindl today, Monday, at 9.10 p.m. in “Topic” on ORF2.
Photo gallery: OÖN would like to thank all supporters
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Photo gallery: Christkindl 2020: Thank you for the donations!
Image: Alexander Schwarzl
OÖN-Christkindl: Help us to help
For many Upper Austrians, Christmas is not a celebration of joy – when sudden deaths, bad diagnoses and financial hardships put a strain on their lives. The OÖN-Christkindl has been supporting these people for 56 years. If you would like to help, you can transfer a donation to the Christkindl account: AT94 2032 0000 0011 1790 (IBAN). The donation is tax deductible. We need your first and last name and your date of birth.
The media company Wimmer, under which the OÖNachrichten is published, bears all costs that are necessary for the implementation of the relief operation – from personnel expenses to the premises. That is why every euro donated goes to families in need.
Companies that want to take part in the Christkindl campaign can contact [email protected] directly. Photos of donations from 2000 euros are published nationwide, the photos appear in local editions up to 1999 euros.
Article by
René Laglstorfer
Editor country and people
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