Donation Campaign for Niklas

In November 2025, we became aware of the moving story of Niklas Astleitner. His severe illness presents him and his family with major challenges every day.

Extraordinary life situations require extraordinary solutions: Following a mold infestation on the ground floor of his home, Niklas had to move to the upper floor. Since his health condition prevents him from using the stairs, Ganser Liftsysteme decided to donate a chair stairlift. Through this donation, we hope to give him greater independence, mobility, and above all, a better quality of life.

Niklas Astleitner from Münzbach suffers from a severe form of ME/CFS, a condition that has dramatically changed his life.

After graduating from the HAK Perg business school, he studied economics with distinction, worked at the University of Linz, and played football for the first team of Union Münzbach. Following a COVID-19 infection in spring 2022, he developed Long Covid, which later progressed into a severe form of ME/CFS (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome).

He used to help elderly people with shopping and collecting medication, but now he needs support himself. His health has continued to deteriorate. Since mid-2024, the 27-year-old has been bedridden and unable to speak. He must also protect himself from light and noise. He maintains limited contact with family and friends via WhatsApp. A key source of comfort and support in his daily life is his cat, Daisy.

In addition to her full-time job, Susanna, Niklas’s mother, devotes herself to caring for her son and regularly administers infusions. Niklas suffers from severe flu-like symptoms, pain, swollen lymph nodes and an overactive immune system. Previous illnesses, including Epstein-Barr virus and Lyme disease, have also been reactivated. The family also faces significant expenses for medication, nutritional supplements, blood tests and specialist consultations.

Niklas chose to share his story publicly to raise awareness of ME/CFS and the inadequate care available to those affected. The disease is a chronic multisystem illness that causes extreme exhaustion and substantial physical limitations. Even minimal exertion can trigger a severe worsening of symptoms through a condition known as Post-Exertional Malaise (PEM).

Read the articles from MeinBezirk:

Illness completely changed his young life

Stairlift gives Münzbach resident back some quality of life

Photo credits: MeinBezirk Perg, Niklas Astleitner, Susanna Astleitner,
Stefan Neugschwandtner, Karl Neugschwandtner