Two years old deaf girl died after Cochlear Implant operation
A small report on Robert Enke
The circumstances of Robert Enke’s death are indeed now been resolved and now everyone knows that the real herzkrankeTochter Enkes died at the age of 2 years during an operation.
But hardly anyone knows about the tragedy of the operation, because the daughter did not die during a heart operation, but for a Cochlear implant surgery. Lara was born with a severe heart defect, so they had to take powerful drugs, which led to her deafness. The cochlear implant should correct this anomaly, but her heart could not stand the operation.
It takes at this point to say anything more about that one is not really vital to an operation is unnecessary heart disease and child Lara today perhaps could live and therefore Enke.
Enke, incidentally, as I have just learned visited the national team of deaf people during a training session and was received very warmly.
A very fine train of Enke! I hope that he really is reunited with his Lara and make it much better.
UPDATE at 20:14 Clock: I found a small but nice link about Enkes visit to the Deaf National Team!
Robert Enke and his wife visited the deaf national team in 2007.
More articles
Taubenschlag
Press , 19. 09. 2006
Declaration on the death of Lara Enke
[Hat off to German woman, Maria]
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Fookem and Bug 
That link actually says that the autopsy showed that her death was NOT related to the surgery.
Translated into English it says:
Lara Enke, the daughter of Teresa and Robert Enke, the keeper of Hannover 96, died of sudden cardiac death. The autopsy at the request of the prosecutor Hanover has revealed that her death has no connection with any operation on Friday.
The two-year girl was treated in the pediatric clinic of the MHH for some time because of a hypoplastic left heart syndrome. On Friday Lara had been operated on the ear. The procedure went without complications. On Sunday at 7 clock died the little Lara.
The prosecutor will begin an investigation.Teresa and Robert Enke to ask all media to respect their grief and to take further questions from a distance.The MHH is not issuing more extensive information.
Miss Kat’s Mom wrote
“a hypoplastic left heart syndrome.”
With this condition, it’s too dangerous for Lara to take anesthetica!Then the parents are responsible for her death!
No, parents are less to blame than the doctors are. We rely so much on doctors that we fail to see where our own desires drive our decisions and depend on doctors to tell us what can be done/what cannot be done.
Surgery on patients with pre-existing conditions is always riskier than with healthy patients, especially when all surgery carries risks. For this reason I believe parents should be told the reality of deafness NOT being a life-threatening or even life-altering condition and that the existence of healthy and happy deaf people proves it.
This might be an example of the extremes parents will go to in order to provide their children with what they believe is the best possible chance in life.
This particular story is a sad one. After the little girl died, her father committed suicide a few years later. Possibly the two events are not related either.
It is already broken my heart. It is not seem fair after her father suicide because of Lara’s death is unexpected. The newest or expecting parents want to fix their children became deaf from unspecifically.
Why the doctor misinformation about CI, Cochlear implant seem not right to put their baby’s ear to fix it. FDA often mislead and think it isn’t too much by doctor and What more? the doctor to believe it will be cure.. It is not CURABLE! It is not acceptable to put performed too young baby!
Margaret
Dear fookumbug, I didn’t know you were interested in this case that happened far from your home. I have read the story in taubenschlag. Obviously Robert was suffering from a depression that he tried to hide. And the hearttrouble of his infant was in relation to that. But it is true that in no newsitem in Germany nor in Belgium or the Netherlands it was mentioned that his daughter died after complications after a CI-implantation. The night of his death there was a debate on German tv about depression but deafness and CI was not mentioned. You can always contact me if you want some news trantslated from German or Dutch in English. But I understand that the event touched you because it touched me too. Seldom you read in the media about CI-surgery that goes wrong. Sincerely, Martin.
While this is a tragedy, it must be remembered that everyday hundreds of people undergo surgery that is not deemed ‘necessary’ and a certain percentage do die. This is the nature of surgery. To blame the surgeons, parents, hospital or anyone else is nothing short of an ignorant tirade.
It’s easy to second guess a parent who has a child with a cleft palate with a predisposing risk factor for surgery and ‘assert’ that the parent should be happy the way the child is and not let surgeons operate. Or a person who goes into surgery to have an orthopaedic procedure for their knee and succumb to some rare instance of death due to surgery complications. Frankly, this list can go on and on.
Whether the surgery was a cochlear implant or another type of procedure, how about we reserve our judgments for ourselves – if we ever have to make such a decision for someone else.
No one ‘thing’ lead to the death of this 2 year old. It was multi-factorial and complicated. Something that the average person will never get their heads around unless attending medical school for 5 plus years or more. Even then, it’s complicated for the surgeons to understand.
Let’s not sensationalize or demonize the parents, cochlear implant, doctors et al. What is unnecessary to you isn’t unnecessary to others. Or what you consider extreme is not extreme to others. There is no causality of the cochlear implant operation to this child’s death. Their untimely demise was already written in the DNA code at conception – Left Heart Hypoplasia.
Regards.
First of all, a child with HLHS has already been under anesthesia countless times. They can tolerate it and MUST be able to tolerate it. They have endured a minimum of 3 heart surgeries to be considered “done” with their heart surgeries. Multiple cardiac catheterizations and many other medical procedures have usually had to be done. For us, another heart surgery is a cause for worry, but a non-heart surgery is much less worrisome. Yes, there is always the risk of death, but if our child has already survived the tougher surgeries, are we going to think “this is the one”? Not likely.
My child is facing cochlear implant surgery at this time. He has HLHS and has already had 4 heart surgeries, 4 sedated cardiac catheterizations, and 5 non-heart surgeries. He lives with a feeding tube, and his hearing loss is progressing beyond where his hearing aids can help him fully. Am I going to deny him this part of quality of life – his hearing? He loves to sing and make music. He has suffered so much already, but a parent of an HLHS child knows that ANY day could be our child’s last day. Any sudden chest impact could rupture the artificial conduits built around my child’s heart. Heart failure could strike. Sudden cardiac arrest. Stroke. Do not blame the parents for their choices. They have had to make tougher choices than the vast majority of parents will ever have to. We, like Robert, have to deal with this every day. And we’ll have to deal with it when our son passes on as well.
You only have to look at photos of Robert Enke with his daughter Lara to know how much he loved her. No way would he have risked her life by having an ‘unnecessary’ operation. Lara had a very serious heart condition – nature can be very cruel – it was amazing that she lived so long, she would never have been fully healthy. She was a happy child who was loved. she died peacefully. They are together now – lying side by side. Please don’t publish uninformed untrue speculations. RIP Robert & Lara. God give you strength and happiness Teresa and Leila.
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What wrong with regular hearing aids no harm foul. Rather than surgeon risk to have ci
VERY TRUE NO CURE TO BE FULL HEARING
I don’t trust cochlear implant operation because it won’t working to hearing problem but God make humans deaf or hard of hearing n acceptance by myself either .
Bottom line… why did the doctor still do the surgery and knowing she has heart problem…. CUZ doctor want money… he doesnt care about anything… I disagree that little child get CI!!! This is soooooo wrong….
Agreed with you. Doctor just want moneymaker for living that all they care
why do that kind of sugery on a 2 yearold??????? thought had to be 4 yrs old????? so stupid!!!!
You people (Doctors & Parents) are so so so DUMB *%@#&$. Why a earth you have to do this to child???? I would NEVER NEVER ever put cochlear implant on my child untill their 18. Of Course doctors loves money That’s very sad you had lost ur 2 year old baby. Would u do again if u have other child??? Think twices!!!!
What is fact without involving sensationalism is that the child didn’t need CI. You need to be educated about Deaf people. They have culture and visual language and are as capable and intelligent as hearing people. CI “doctors” knew in advance that CI is dangerous, therefore they violate the code of ethics or the Hippocratic Oath. It’s known to them that some CI users get meningitis by the operations. Some of the infected ones get killed. They also probably won’t tell parents about the dangers or that CI doesn’t make them being hearing. Users can hear, but don’t grasp words or sounds of emotions as well as you do and don’t know where the sound comes from. Haven’t you wonder why “language” is included in “sign language”? That’s because it’s not gestures, universal signs, or mimes as many of you think. Language is language is language. I believe that she with her heart condition can live longer without CI operation. Some Deaf people did ask CI representation for stats, but they won’t share and hush on them. CI industries make multi-million dollars. I won’t be surprised if CI “doctors” put money above people.
Iam deaf and don’t have a CI. I live a great life with a successful career, a family and my own house and RV. She didn’t need the stupid CI!!!! Deaf people have lived successful and fulfilling lives without CIs!!! Stupid parents and doctors. I have no sympathy for them! Sick!
I am so thankful that my parents allowed me to remain deaf… CI is just another unnecessary surgery to fix deafness which will end in failure anyway.
True. Will always fail.