Mayor fights for daughter: TBE drama in Balingen!

Mayor fights for daughter: TBE drama in Balingen!

Balingen, Deutschland - Dirk Abel was elected Mayor of Balingen on March 19, 2023. However, this new office brought a challenge for him and his family that was worse than anything they had ever expected. Twelve days after the election, his 13-year-old daughter Emily suffered encephalitis due to a tick bite, which put the family's life into a state of emergency. Although the family was aware of the potential risks of a TBE infection, they were not prepared for the extremely difficult course that Emily's illness took. This was reported by the Schwäbische .

Emily initially showed flu-like symptoms that were accompanied by headache and body aches and light temperature. These primary symptoms ended after about five days and followed a symptom -free phase of up to 20 days. Unfortunately, Emily's condition worsened unexpectedly and it fell into a coma after being brought to the Tübingen university clinic. Her doctors explained that brain inflammation occurred to an extent that had never been experienced with TBE with a child before.

The tragedy of brain inflammation

Emily fought for survival in the intensive care unit for eight weeks. During this period, their parents learned that more than two thirds of the TBE infections go asymptomatic, but there are also cases in which the disease manifests themselves. The division of the TBE into two stadiums is important: after the primary stage, the secondary stage follows, in which serious neurological symptoms can be shown. According to information from Doccheck they appear in about 10%of the sick and can cause meningitis or encephalitis.

The dramatic consequences of the disease are complex. Many survivors remain with long -term neurological complaints. In Emily's case, she now suffers from severe neuronal failures, which they severely limit them in their everyday life. During this difficult time, Dirk Abel blamed himself because of the supposedly incomplete removal of the tick. Nevertheless, the doctors treated assured him that this would have made no difference.

support and foundation

The months in the clinic were extremely challenging for the Abel family. Dirk received support from relatives, friends and professional colleagues while taking care of the situation. According to Medicoconsult , the TSME is an infectious disease of the central nervous system, which is mainly transmitted by ticks. The fact that regions such as Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg are affected by TBE in Germany gives the Abels an additional reason to work for more education and support.

The care of Emily is largely with Dirk's wife, Iris, who not only takes care of her daughter during the day, but also at night. Despite the uncertainty, there is small progress. On good days, Emily can express himself about facial expressions and no longer needs artificial ventilation. Dirk plans to found a trust foundation as part of the “I pencil I pencil“ Future ”to support facilities that deal with neurological diseases and offer affected people and their relatives financial aid.

The start -up capital of the planned foundation will be in the five -digit range, and Dirk Abel plans to continue to donate in the coming years. He emphasizes the emotional challenge of living with the new reality and leaving the past behind, while the family continues to hope for a positive turn.