Oliver's Journey

Our family journey continues as we share updates, memories, and experiences.

Welcome

We are the Staubs — a multicultural family made up of mom Laura (Mexico), dad Stefan (Germany), our 5-year-old twins Julian and Sebastian, and our baby Oliver.

Yes, we eat tacos and sausages in the same house.

Until April 2025, our life was beautifully ordinary. We took a trip to Mexico, and just one week into that visit, everything changed forever.

We were in a horrific car accident — an armored vehicle crashed into us. To this day, it’s a miracle that we all survived.
But the biggest miracle of all is Oliver.

Our boy suffered fractures in his C2 and C3 vertebrae, lost his heartbeat for 20 min., and had to be resuscitated. Since that moment, he has endured multiple cardiac arrests, over five surgeries, and countless treatments.

And yet… he’s still here.

Oliver is not just a survivor — he’s a fighter.
He’s shown a level of strength and resilience that humbles us every day. Despite everything he’s been through, he always manages to find a reason to smile, and to teach us what truly matters.

Recently, after his second cervical fusion surgery, something extraordinary happened:
He started to show subtle signs of movement and sensation.
We don’t know exactly what this means for his future — but what we do know is that now, he has a chance.

A chance to fight for his life back.
And we’ll be fighting right alongside him, every step of the way.

As his surgeon told us:

“For Oliver, the sky is the limit.”

This is not just a story of tragedy — it’s a story of hope, love, and the power of the human spirit. Thank you for being here and for walking this path with us.

Timeline

This timeline highlights the most important events of our journey. Often, we ourselves can hardly believe the rollercoaster we have lived through — and are still living today.

Why do we need financial help

Many people ask why we still need donations.

The truth is, our insurance only covered a part after the accident — the ambulance and first emergency surgeries. Most of the critical needs not.

Ventilator

Our insurance would have taken months to provide only a standard machine – one that is not safe for a two-year-old. To make sure Oliver could breathe safely and live as normally as possible, we had to buy the right device ourselves.

Most importantly, we needed a portable ventilator. Without it, Oliver would be confined to bed. With it, he can go outside, move around with us, and be part of everyday family life.

Power Supply & Safety

In Mexico, power outages can happen from time to time. Because Oliver’s ventilator is the most important device for his life and safety, we installed an LPG-powered generator and set up battery packs in our home. This way, Oliver is always protected, even if the power goes out.

39 Days in the ICU (Mexico City)

Costs were overwhelming and far beyond coverage.

Starting Over

After discharge, Stefan was no longer able to continue his job. In Germany, we had everything – and if there had been a way back, we would have taken it. But our house was not barrier-free, Oliver could not be transported safely, and organizing medical care from Mexico would have meant long waiting times.

So we faced the challenge of rebuilding our life here in Mexico, adapting our home, and securing therapies for Oliver.

Surgeries in Chicago

In July, Oliver had two major surgeries in Chicago. His spine was fused to his skull. Complications followed — a stroke and two cardiac arrests. After 37 long days in the PICU, he was finally discharged.

The U.S. Hospital Bill

The U.S. hospital bill is expected to reach around 2 million dollars. We already received an invoice of 1.49 million USD, but the doctors’ fees are still outstanding.

Thanks to donations and support from around the world. The remaining amount must be paid in installments over time.

24/7 Care

Meanwhile, Oliver now needs continuous 24/7 care — with nurses, therapists, and doctors guiding his rehabilitation.

In Mexico, we receive no support from the state, and the German long-term care insurance does not apply here. Therefore, all these costs must be covered by us as a family.

The Power of Donations

Thanks to the incredible generosity of donations, we have already been able to provide Oliver with vital medical equipment and give our twins, Julian and Sebastian, a sense of stability during this crisis.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts! 💙

Without You

Without all of you, Oliver would have had no future — and who knows if he would even still be alive today.
Again: thank you, thank you, thank you.

A Difficult Ask

It breaks our hearts to ask for help, but we have no choice. Our love for Oliver is greater than our pride.

Oliver hasn’t given up. Neither will we. But we cannot do this alone.

With gratitude,
Laura and Stefan

Instagram

Instagram became our lifeline — a way to communicate with family and friends during the most challenging time of our lives. We began by sharing the heartbreaking news of the car accident and providing updates on Laura and Oliver’s health. It was a space to ask for prayers, support, and the possibility of second opinions and alternatives to our situation.

Today, more than 85,000 people are following Oliver’s journey — a community whose strength continues to rally around us. There, we still share updates, news, and pictures and videos from our everyday life with Oliver.

This was never something we planned or wanted, but we have come to draw so much energy from it. Reading every message and comment — each word of encouragement, each prayer, each expression of love — gives us the strength to go on. It reminds us how loved and cherished our son and our family is, and it helps us feel that we are not alone on this journey.

In our darkest moments, we have discovered the brightest side of humanity.