Blows of fate

Underage sisters have lost both parents

Isabel (10) and Raffaela (13) support each other in their grief.(Bild: Wenzel Markus)

Two family strokes of fate have left siblings Isabel (10) and Raffaela (13) orphans. In addition to their grief, the girls from the district of Grieskirchen (Upper Austria) are also very worried about their future. They now hope that their aunt and uncle will be able to take over their care and that the "Krone" family will also be there to help.

Raffaela (13) and Isabel (10) stand closely embraced in the garden and look wistfully at the photo of their parents. Back then, the world still seemed to be perfect for the little family. But unfortunately everything has changed since this summer - the children from the district of Grieskirchen are now orphans and their father and mother are no longer alive.

A fate that is upsetting and heartbreaking. After their mother (nine years ago), Raffi and Isi also lost their father on August 6. A shock that the sisters have not yet come to terms with and may need psychological support.

"What will happen to us now?" Raffaela asked anxiously after hearing the news of their deaths. She was very worried about the future.

Family sticks together in times of need
The custody of the girls has not yet been decided. Raffi often stays with Grandma Lisbeth (75) in Styria, while Isabel spends most of her time with Uncle Sigi (58) and Aunt Elisabeth (54), who live not far from the family home.

The couple would like both children to live with them permanently, but the official decision is still pending. "Don't worry, we'll take care of you," Siegfried promised the girls, who are just as longing for this as he is.

It was also the solidarity within the family that gave the sisters a sense of safety and security again after their mother's death in April 2016. Isabel was just eight months old at the time and was still being breastfed, Raffaela was three years old. The girls were sleeping in their parents' bed when mom Eva suffered a cardiac arrest on the night of Easter Monday.

Resuscitation started immediately
"Raffi was fully aware of it. My brother Christian tried to resuscitate Eva - a week later she died in hospital, unfortunately she never woke up from her coma," says Sigi.

Grandma Lisbeth, Elisabeth and Siegfried supported the widower in caring for the little girl from then on. "My brother had a job in Salzburg where he didn't get home until 8pm. He retrained with the AMS so that he could be closer to the children."

No recognizable alarm signals
It was not foreseeable that Christian would suffer the same fate as Eva: "He had only complained of tennis elbow and slight chest pain shortly beforehand." Isabel found her dad motionless in the night, unfortunately there was no help available.

Dear readers!

If you would like to help in this case, please donate to our "Krone" special account at Hypo Oberösterreich under the reference "Vollwaisen" :
IBAN: AT76 5400 0000 0040 0002
BIC: OBLAAT2L

Donors will be published in the print edition of the "OÖ-Krone" in the coming weeks.

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"We try to maintain the daily routine. The girls distract themselves with table tennis and drawing, attend tennis and gymnastics clubs or play with their dog 'Fuzzy' and cat 'Blacky'," says Siegfried.

Money is needed for Raffi and Isi's future education and other urgently needed investments. The two orphans are also hoping for support from the "Krone" family in this regard.