André, the youngest person to die following the attack in Germany, in Magdeburg, Friday December 20, was only 9 years old. Her mother made her moving story public and received enormous solidarity.
The attack in Magdeburg, Germany, lasted only three minutes. She changed the lives of hundreds of people forever. At least 200 people were injured and five were killed. The youngest victim was André, only 9 years old. His mother made her son's tragic fate public and wrote on social media: “Let my little teddy bear go around the world again… André hadn't done anything to anyone.”
Thousands of people shared his post. To support the family during this difficult time, a friend is now collecting donations. “The funds raised aim to ease the financial burden caused by this tragedy and to enable the family to go through the journey of grief at their own pace,” said initiator Franziska Helbich.
“André was looking forward to Christmas. He wanted to spend the last weekend of Advent at the Magdeburg Christmas market, Friday December 20, with his family. But this day ended with an incredible tragedy: André was the victim of the terrible attack on the Christmas market and will never be able to unwrap his presents,” Helbich said on the fundraising page.
85,000 euros raised
With his joyful smile and his joie de vivre, André left a great void in the hearts of his family, his friends and all those who knew him. The appeal affects thousands of people. The campaign's most prominent supporter: German videographer Katja Krasavice. She made a donation of 3,000 euros and mobilized her support on her Instagram channel so that André's mother could “take care of the funeral without worrying”.
Shortly after its publication, she spoke out again and defended herself against critics who accused her of publicly exploiting the fundraising campaign for image reasons. She did not accept the argument that she could have donated without sharing it on social media.
Following his appeal, at the time of writing these lines, more than 85,000 euros have been raised in a short time to support André's family. In the meantime, the initiator, Franziska Helbich, even stopped the fundraising campaign in consultation with the family of the deceased: “We raised so much money that we didn't expect it. We would like to warmly thank each donor. The family can now attend the funeral.”
