Every hundredth child in Austria is born with a heart defect. Many corrective and thus life-saving operations are often necessary. But despite major medical advances, a congenital heart defect or later cardiovascular diseases accompany most of those affected into adulthood.
Children and teenagers can gain a large part of their quality of life through age-appropriate, holistic rehabilitation. “The ideal time to start rehabilitation is six to eight weeks after an operation. In individual cases, however, we also take those affected directly from the hospital,” says Primaria Evelyn Lechner, medical director at the “kokon” rehabilitation facility for young people in Rohrbach -Mountain.
Every year to rehab
Rehabilitation usually lasts three weeks, but can be extended if necessary. What many parents don’t know: “With a child with chronic heart disease, families can even come once a year,” says the pediatrician specializing in pediatric cardiology, neonatology and pediatric intensive care medicine.
For the first rehab, Paul, who is now two years old, came with his family to the “cocoon” to wean him off a tube. The little patient was born with a hypoplastic left heart and had to endure several operations with long hospital stays at the beginning of his life. Ultimately, the whole family benefited from the rehab, as mother Martina Allmer remembers: “The stay in the cocoon made us realize that Paul is not such a weak child as we initially thought, but that he is dealing with the right one support can develop really well.”
sibling included
Paul’s sister Anna, who was only one year older, was also allowed to take part in rehab as a sibling and was also given a lot of strength as a result. Like her parents and her brother, she was able to cope with the stressful time and reduce fears. And there is something else that Martina Allmer is particularly happy about: “Thanks to the many tips and tricks, settling in at home after rehabilitation worked really well.”
Michaela Altendorfer, President of the “Herzkinder Österreich” self-help association, also receives this and similar feedback: “It is essential for families with affected children to regain their energy after a stay in hospital.”
You can choose from a variety of different therapies in the “kokon” on a total of 5500 square meters – also for the psyche. Lessons for children and young people in the in-house sanatorium school help to keep up with the respective class.
Patients from the age of 0 to 18 with many other questions are also welcome in Rohrbach-Berg.
Source: Nachrichten
