;Resize=(1200,627)&impolicy=perceptual&quality=mediumHigh&hash=ae56caf3c245f872b7131e3f0a0a885a727e4e93b2df72d53e0df35701f21568 "Fabian (14) catches a cold – shortly afterwards he loses his arms and legs")
“Fabian had a normal cold,” his father told the “Rheinische Post”. But the next day, when his lips started turning blue, he vomited and developed a rash, his parents started to worry. In the late evening they take him to the hospital – but the doctors are at a loss. “It was only said that it was a viral infact,” says his father of the “Bild” newspaper.
“Then the doctors suddenly panicked”
The family goes back home. Fabian’s condition worsens at night, reports the “Rheinische Post”. His parents call the emergency doctor, the doctors assume that the 14-year-old has caught pneumonia. “Then the doctors suddenly panicked,” Fabian’s father tells the newspaper.
When the 14-year-old’s pulse weakened and he got a fever of over 40 degrees, the doctors transferred him to the Essen University Clinic by helicopter. On the way there, Fabian suffers septic shock. His mother tells the “Bild” newspaper: “They gave him a seven percent chance of survival,” the doctors move Fabian to the farewell room, and the family travels to say goodbye.
Reading tip: More than 300,000 people in Germany suffer from sepsis every year. Charité professor Konrad Reinhart explains here which warning signs you should not ignore.
“Our son experienced this process while he was awake and had to deal with it”
But Fabian does not die. According to a family “Gofundme” campaign, he was in a coma for 24 days and was in intensive care for 54 days. The 14-year-old suffers multiple organ failure, heart and lungs suffer severe damage.
“Due to the severity of the disease, blood flow to the forearms and lower legs was no longer available. They turned black and had to be amputated. Our son experienced this process while he was awake and had to deal with it,” his mother describes on the campaign website.
Fabian’s courage to live is unbroken: “I’ll soon be getting artificial hands. And then it will be fine”
Fabian has now been in a rehabilitation clinic in Bavaria for six weeks. But he has not lost his will to face life. The brave 14-year-old said to “Bild”: “What should I do? I’m getting art hands soon. And then it will be fine.” His father is impressed: “This courage to face life is crazy. I wouldn’t have made it.”
Now his parents thank the doctors that their son is still alive: “If there hadn’t been so many people, he wouldn’t have made it. We are happy about the health system in Germany.” In the comments of the Gofundme campaign, people are also impressed by Fabian’s bravery: “Never give up! You’re a super great boy” it says, or: “Dear Fabian, we don’t know you, but we can see how brave you are.”
In order to be able to buy a car that Fabian can fit in with a wheelchair, his parents started a campaign on “Gofundme”. By Saturday, over 42,000 euros had already been collected. And Fabian himself? He soon wants to return home for the first time and visit his family in Mönchengladbach.
Reading tip: Julia suffered a similar fate as Fabian. Read here how she fought her way back to life.