Medal of Merit for Leopoldine Wilhelm: She looked after her husband for almost 20 years

Leopoldine Wilhelm from Dietersheim looked after her severely disabled husband for almost 20 years.

For this she has now been awarded the Medal of Merit.

Dietersheim

- Leopoldine Wilhelm looked after her severely disabled husband for almost two decades.

District Administrator Helmut Petz presented the 78-year-old from Dietersheim with the Order of Merit Medal of the Federal Republic of Germany.

"It is a great honor for me to be able to hand over this document, personally signed by Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier," said District Administrator Petz.

I was only there for my husband.

I didn't leave him alone for a second.

Leopoldine Wilhelm

Josef Wilhelm was the victim of a brutal robbery in 2001.

He suffered a severe craniocerebral trauma and became a nursing case.

"That has totally changed our whole life," said Leopoldine Wilhelm at the award ceremony in the district office.

Some time later the Wilhelms found out that the perpetrator had been arrested and convicted.

"It was reassuring for us to hear that he had been punished," said son Günther Wilhelm.

Josef Wilhelm spent around two years in the hospital and in rehabilitation facilities.

"After two years and a handicapped-accessible renovation, we brought it home," said Leopoldine Wilhelm.

From that day on she looked after her husband every day.

“Everything else was secondary.

I was only there for my husband.

I didn't leave him alone for a second. "

Award as a sign of recognition

"We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for this self-sacrificing behavior," said District Administrator Petz.

“What you have achieved is exemplary and cannot be taken for granted at all.” The award of the Medal of Merit should be a sign of recognition, but also a signal to society.

The award shows "that care and family are very important," added Eching's mayor Sebastian Thaler.

For years, Leopoldine Wilhelm was always by her husband's side.

“We grew together a lot, we were a team.” Josef Wilhelm died in April 2020 and he spent his last days in the hospital.

Visiting him was very difficult because of the first corona lockdown.

Leopoldine adversely affects Wilhelm that he is no longer there.

The award of the Medal of Merit gives her confidence and strength.

“I'm really happy about that.”

Ft

You can always read all the latest news from Freising, Eching and the region here.