Desperate woman

“Why does Fritzl get a place and I don’t?”

Agnes Weichhardt suffers from an incurable disease in which cells of vital organs are clogged by thick mucus that can only be removed with difficulty. She needs medical oxygen around the clock.(Bild: © Harald Dostal / 2024)

"Why does Josef Fritzl get a place in assisted living and I don't? Do you have to be a murderer to be eligible?" asks Agnes Weichhardt from Linz. She is about to undergo her third lung transplant, but at the age of 41, there is nowhere to live for free. And alternatives are too expensive.

41-year-old Agnes Weichhardt from Linz suffers from cystic fibrosis (a metabolic disease in which thick mucus blocks vital organs). She has had two complete lung transplants and is currently preparing for a third.

Painful procedure
"I need medical oxygen 24 hours a day and have to use a device to remove the mucus from my airways every day. Coughing up the mucus takes hours and exhausts me enormously every time," explains Weichhardt.

Unsuccessful search
She lives on the first floor of an old apartment without an elevator and has been looking for a barrier-free, accessible apartment that would be affordable for her for two years. "I live on just 1,200 euros and can't find suitable accommodation that is affordable. I recently looked at a two-bedroom apartment from Caritas, but it costs 1,300 euros to rent. How am I supposed to pay that?"

I had my first donor lung transplant when I was 21, and then again nine years ago. Now I'm waiting for donation number 3.

Mukoviszidose-Patientin Agnes Weichhardt

Assisted living only for senior citizens
Weichhardt complains that there are no places for assisted living in a public facility for people her age. "They are designed for senior citizens. Anyone under 60 basically has no chance."

Fear of tomorrow every day
Her current living situation is becoming increasingly difficult for the 41-year-old. Her mother, who brings her food every other day, is herself severely handicapped. "She suffers from an incurable, chronic respiratory disease," says Weichhardt, who is unable to go shopping or cook for herself.

5000 calories needed
Due to her illness, however, she needs to consume 5000 calories a day. She only manages this thanks to high-calorie drinkable food. "I dread the next morning every day because I'm totally overwhelmed."

When she thinks of Josef Fritzl, she gets angry: "I think it's so unfair that he gets what I would like - a three-course meal and maybe soon a free sheltered housing place."