The "Krone" helps

“Our Jakob should finally be able to speak again”

The picture shows Jakob, who has been in a vegetative state for months. His brother Mateo and Verena Dunst are hoping for a special device to be able to communicate with him.(Bild: Reinhard Judt)

A 26-year-old has been in a vegetative state since the beginning of the year - with the help of an expensive special device, his family is now hoping for a Christmas miracle. The "Krone" is helping - help us.

The Baumrock family from the district of Oberpullendorf has suffered a terrible fate. When their son Jakob wanted to go to work in the morning of January 13, 2023, he suddenly could hardly breathe and collapsed. He was found by a friend, a medic in the army. The courageous helper professionally set the rescue chain in motion.

"At first we thought it was a severe allergic reaction. But then he blacked out," reports brother Mateo. Jakob suffered a respiratory arrest. A world collapsed for the family.

He was without oxygen for eleven minutes. Jakob never came back from this faint.

Die Angehörigen

High-tech device costs 80,000 euros according to the list
After many months in hospital in Eisenstadt, the patient is now in the coma ward at Haus St. Peter in Oberpullendorf. Jakob does not move, his gaze is fixed on the ceiling. But his gray matter is fully intact. Thanks to the special "Mind Beagle" device from a company in Upper Austria, it was possible to prove that brain waves are flowing.

"Initially, 84 percent of his performance was measured. Now we are at 100 percent," report the experts. Jakob reported the yes and no answers in the tests completely correctly.

Especially at Christmas, we should not only celebrate, but also remember that many people are not doing so well. Jacob is in our hearts.

Verena Dunst, Volkshilfe-Präsidentin

The power of thought
The impetus for this much-awaited progress came from a therapist who had been in a vegetative state himself for 3.5 years. He treats using the promising Feldenkrais method. The irrepressible power of thought, which is reflected in Jakob's difficult case, now gives the family a lot of hope.

The crown helps

EVERY DONATION HELPS: "Die Krone helps - Burgenland"
Donation account:
Bank details: Raiffeisenlandesbank Burgenland IBAN: AT81 3300 0000 0118 7210
Keyword: "Jakob"

"Being closer to Jakob"
"With the help of the 'Mind Beagle', we could communicate with Jakob and be closer to him. That would be the best thing in the world," says his brother, visibly moved. But the special device is an expensive purchase. According to the list price, the high-tech device costs 80,000 euros.

Even the company's special price of 50,000 euros is not affordable for the family alone. With the support of Burgenland's Volkshilfe President Verena Dunst, the "Krone" is asking its large family of readers to take part in a far-reaching aid campaign.