The 29-year-old from Eittinger suffers from an extremely aggressive form of multiple sclerosis.
The mother of a one-year-old daughter's last hope is a new therapy.
But for that she needs donations.
Eitting – The diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) is a shock for everyone who is confronted with it.
But often – in contrast to other diseases affecting the nervous system – there are still decades to live, and the symptoms are long in the background.
In the case of Vanessa Fleischer from Eitting, however, MS, which is called the "disease with a thousand faces" for good reason, shows its ugliest face.
The condition of the just 29-year-old married mother of a one-year-old daughter has deteriorated drastically in a short time.
Her last hope is a relatively recent stem cell transplant that health insurance does not pay for.
But Fleischer needs 50,000 euros.
A few days ago she started a crowdfunding campaign where anyone can donate.
It runs for four weeks.
As of Friday afternoon, around 6000 euros have come together.
Young Eittingerin suffers from MS: The first symptoms appear when walking
In 2017, the world of the mid-twenties is turned upside down.
"As I walked longer distances, I noticed that it was becoming increasingly difficult for me to lift my legs," Fleischer recalls.
A neurologist makes the terrible diagnosis, after which things quickly go downhill.
In 2018, Fleischer experienced violent flare-ups, her eyes were affected and she had severe nerve pain.
About two years ago she became pregnant.
“Actually, it is said that MS is dormant during pregnancy.” But her condition worsens precisely because of the pregnancy.
Wheelchairs and walkers are her constant companions.
And even with the rollator, she only manages 100 meters before her body is completely exhausted.
Even her doctors cannot explain the unusually severe course of the disease.
"I'm just unlucky," says Fleischer soberly.
Doubly tragic: Her husband also has MS
The MS of her husband Andreas, whom she met during treatment in the hospital, does not progress so mercilessly rapidly.
"He suffers above all from extreme exhaustion, fatigue syndrome, and nerve pain," reports his wife, who works as an assistant at Bosch, is currently on parental leave and hopes to be able to work again at the end of the year despite everything - in the home office.
Her husband is a locksmith, but is on sick leave because of his MS.
The tragic story of the young woman from Eitting has another episode: her father Jens died two years ago at the age of 51. She then moved with her husband and mother Arlette from Munich to a semi-detached house with a granny flat in Eitting.
A little over a year ago, daughter Emilia was born.
It's no longer possible without a walker and wheelchair
But because of the pregnancy, it also continues to decrease.
Her Erdinger neurologist advises her to use a relatively new form of stem cell transplantation, which is only carried out in particularly severe cases at the University Hospital in Hamburg.
"I'm already getting the strongest medication," says Fleischer.
And even that doesn't help much.
"The new therapy would give me a 70 percent promise to stop my MS so it doesn't get any worse," she says.
In Germany, only 25 patients took part in this type of pilot test.
The health insurance companies are still opposed, while the therapy is already being paid for in Switzerland, for example.
You can go to court and demand the money, but that will cost you years - "time that I no longer have." With a rent of 2,000 euros a month, there is no leeway to put money aside.
Help from friends and acquaintances
During the therapy, stem cells are removed and cleaned, "ie made healthy again," as Fleischer explains.
The chemotherapy that follows will zero out her immune system, after which her cleaned cells will be reinstated to build a healthy immune system.
"I have great hopes of being fit for long enough - for our little mouse," says Fleischer combatively.
Many friends and acquaintances have already spread their crowdfunding campaign.
She says gratefully: "Every euro brings me closer to my goal and gives me more mobile time with my family."
By the way: everything from the region is also available in our regular Erding newsletter.
