The day Magdalena H. * became a mom was anything but hoped for. There were only a few hours between anticipation and despair. The young woman was 22 weeks pregnant when she was hospitalized with bleeding and labor pains.
“The doctors didn’t expect that the heart would still beat,” she says. Contrary to expectations, the unborn was still alive. Every minute counted now. The expectant mother was flown to another hospital. There followed an emergency caesarean section, which brought another surprise: Little Leon, weighing 550 grams and 32 centimeters long, was breathing. His parents were allowed to see him the day after he was born. You will never forget the sight. “He was so tiny and helpless, his body very dark purple, the skin so thin that you could even see through the heart,” says Magdalena H.
Severe brain damage
The then 19-year-old had in mind that getting to know each other can also mean saying goodbye. The next dramatic incident occurred two days later. Leon had a brain hemorrhage. “A world has collapsed for us,” says the woman from the Innviertel. “We had to decide whether to let our child live or die.” It was clear to her and her partner that they wanted to give their baby the chance to fight.
Her gut feeling didn’t let her down. Leon made it, but suffered severe brain damage. His life was still hanging by a thread. A crucial test for the young family.
After eight months and countless operations, the boy weighed two kilograms – and was allowed to go home. Although it was a “liberating feeling”, the parents could not breathe a sigh of relief. “We had palliative care for the first two years,” says Magdalena H., who is now a mother of two.
Leon has had a healthy sister. He is now seven years old, attends a special school and is radiant with joie de vivre. “If we look at him, we know that we did the right thing,” says the mother of two. The consequences of his cerebral hemorrhage are irreversible. The boy is severely impaired physically and mentally. He is fed through a gastric tube, and he can neither talk nor walk.
Caring for the family requires not only time and effort, but also money. The seven-year-old is dependent on various aids in everyday life. His parents, who have been a couple since their school days, commute between follow-up examinations and therapies. “But I like to do it. You can also see that it brings something,” says the 26-year-old.
“We have other priorities”
Your son can now support his head on his own. When he hears his name, he responds with a smile. He showed his family what really matters in life. “We have completely different priorities. I used to ask myself why my child had to go through this, but now all that matters for us is that we have each other. That is the greatest happiness for us,” says Magdalena.
The parents of little Leon are supported by the OÖN-Christkindl this year in order to cover the running costs for therapies and aids. The retired car mechanic Hans Eidenhammer from Burgkirchen also gave them a special pleasure. He provided a car suitable for the disabled, which makes everyday life easier for the family. The Innviertler is a close partner of the Christkindl campaign and has already given more than 80 cars to families after a stroke of fate.
* Name changed by the editor
Here’s how you can help
The fate of the Innviertel family is one of many that the Christkindl team is currently confronted with. The OÖN-Christkindl has been helping in such situations for 57 years. If you too would like to support the Christmas campaign, you can transfer a donation to AT94 2032 0000 0011 1790 (IBAN). The donation is tax deductible.
Source: Nachrichten
