It is already many years ago. The pictures in my memory have almost faded. But the shock I had then remains and when I think of the situation, it still comes back again.
It was mid-summer, August and my little delicate daughter had a cold. Nothing serious. Some coughing, a bit of a “runny” nose. I was alone at home with my two daughters, the younger was scarcely 3 years old. And then in the morning she started coughing heavily. It sounded terrible. Her little body was shaking and suddenly blood came out of her mouth. I was scared. I picked her up, she was light as a feather and carried her into the bathroom. I held her tight and tried to support her. Seeing the basin turn red was frightening and I knew I had to stay calm, although I wanted to cry.
I didn’t understand. What’s happening to her? What illness can a small child have for her to cough blood? The only thing that came to my mind were the pictures in films about tuberculosis. But how could my little sunshine have tuberculosis? I felt how despair was overcoming me, but suppressed it, because there was no room for it. After what felt like eternity her attack subsided. She was very pale, but not in pain. I washed her face and called the children’s doctor, so that he could see her immediately.
At the doctor’s surgery, before he could examine her, the same thing happened repeatedly. The first time I already had the feeling that her blood had almost filled the basin. The amount of blood that sprang like a fountain out of my little one in the doctor’s practice exceeded my imagination. The doctor made no further close examination but sent us to the children’s hospital immediately with suspected tuberculosis. My little one ended up in isolation to avoid infecting others, if possible. Two long days passed before we knew with certainty that she did not have tuberculosis, but “only” a serious pneumonia. After a week, in which I lost 2 kilos, she was back at home, bright as a button.
Lucky!! I still feel my despair and helplessness that I felt then. It is awful when someone you love, suffers and you can’t really help. But it’s worst of all, when it’s your own child. Then I got away with a fright and exhaustion from the nights I spent beside her bed in the hospital.
Tamas Dominic Galo didn’t have so much luck. He is 15 months old and he was diagnosed with the worst form of spinal muscle atrophy.
There are therapeutic approaches with drugs, but they are not available in Hungary, where his mother, Aniko Hornischer, works for PwC Hungary as a Personal Assistant. To obtain this help in Belgium requires money, a lot of money.
The employees of PwC Hungary have already raised approx. CHF 13,800 for her and PwC Hungary proposes to double this amount, so she has already received approx. CHF 27,600.
As mentioned, the costs are very high, so Aniko has also launched a donation platform. Her goal is to raise another EUR 40,000, which should cover the treatment costs.
You can make a donation under the following link:
I believe even small amounts can help. Donations can be made fully anonymously. It is in your hands to help a little, a child, a mother, who is fighting for her child’s life to be as long and happy as possible.
Michaela Merz 