Siblings Wilhelm, Hugo and Emma
Wilhelm was the older brother of Hugo and Emma, and all three became ill with an undiagnosed disease. Although they were investigated by the top specialists in Sweden, the UK, the US and Austria, no doctor could understand their illness because all test and investigations were without comment. Doctors all over the world were contacted, but no one could solve the mystery.
Because the doctors could not make a diagnosis, there was no medication for the siblings' disease. They were given medicines that alleviated their symptoms, but it was not known whether the medicines that were added would make the children sicker because they did not know the root cause.
When the parents contacted a professor of genetics, the samples were taken at the time and since no samples deviated from normal, the parents were told "that it was a "coincidence" that Wilhelm was ill" and that the disease is not hereditary.
After Hugo was born, doctors and professors of genetics said that if the parents had girl, she will be healthy. Like Hugo, Emma showed symptoms at birth.
Many people wonder how it is that parents dared to have more children with such a tragic outcome, but no doctor thought the disease was degenerative (degrading), nor that it was a life-threatening disease. By the time Wilhelm was 12 years old, his illness had begun to degenerate and Wilhelm developed dementia. Only then did the doctors realize that the disease was going in the wrong direction, then Hugo was four years old and Emma a year.
"Our three youngest children died of an undiagnosed disease. Wilhelm died at the age of 16. Little Emma died the year after Wilhelm and she was only six years old. Two years after Emma died, our Hugo died. He was 10 years old.
When many hear about our "tragedy", they do not think about all the great moments we got together and everything that Wilhelm , Hugo and Emma have taught us. Having children is the most wonderful thing that can happen and losing the children is the most terrible thing that you can be affected by, I think. But the years we had were wonderful, amazing and we had a lot of fun together. Our children were perhaps special with everything they taught us, like taking the day here and now, being able to rejoice in the little and find the light even though everything looks dark.
In retrospect, I am still sincerely grateful that we did not know that the disease was fatal because then we would NEVER have dared to have more children and then we had never been parents to our wonderful children and have such a great time together, even if the years were far too few. Painful years afterwards, but we had it so wonderful together and the children never suffered from their illness except the last few weeks they lived."
Mother Helene