Hannah's joie de vivre: A struggle for care and freedom in Dachau

Hannah's joie de vivre: A struggle for care and freedom in Dachau

The Specht family lives in Dachau, who takes care of her daughter Hannah with tireless dedication. The 18-year-old was born with severe restrictions and needs intensive care every day. Her mother, Eva Specht, emphasizes the importance of natural nutrition: "Hannah shows you clearly how important food is. We often have the discussion whether it would not be easier to feed her through a PEG, but we are insane behind it that Hannah can eat because she has an incredible joy."

The challenges are enormous. Hannah has very little muscles and can hardly do anything independently. The woodpeckers are both employed and have to divide the nursing work well. Eva reports: "The supply is really an issue and often a problem. To wrap somewhere quickly, for example in the cinema, because the changing tables are much too small."

an excursion with obstacles

Despite the difficulties, the family plans a bicycle trip. For Hannah you have a special wheel that is adapted to your therapy chair. "It is not a matter of course that you have something like this. The health insurance does not see cycling as a contribution to quality of life. We are lucky enough to be able to afford it," explains Eva. The excursion is a piece of freedom for the family that they had to fight hard.

The parents know how important it is to find time for themselves. Gregor Specht says: "Eva has now started sports when Hannah is at school in the morning." The grandparents support them to ensure that the parents do not "break" in care.

an uncertain morning

The uncertainty about the future of Hannah is a constant concern. Her schooling ends next summer and the woodpeckers wonder what comes. Eva explains: "There is a legal right to a workshop position, but there are far too few funding places in Germany." Without a clear perspective, working parents may have to organize the care themselves, which represents an immense stress.

The nights are a special challenge: Hannah often needs help to breathe and swallow. "We have pulled it through for 13 years, for five years we have had a nursing service that comes at night, but also only for half a year," says Eva. The constant fear of whether the help will continue to be approved remains a constant companion of the Specht family.