The path to the light

The story of Luzia and happiness

We always believe in luck – and that everything will turn out well. That is a prerequisite for our work.

For one little calf, it initially looked as if luck had let her down. She was born on a farm. A healthy calf at first glance, had it not been for the cloudy eye.

Animals, just like humans, can be affected by both physical and mental disabilities. This calf was born with one blind eye. But that’s not all, because the calf is unsuitable for a farm. She is about to be slaughtered. A sad and unfortunate start to life!

A glimmer of hope

However, the tide was about to turn. When one of our employees learnt about the situation, she knew she had to intervene. Slaughter a healthy calf just because its eyesight is impaired? At Gut Aiderbichl, animals may not have a voice, but they do have the right to a fulfilling life. This also includes impaired animals.

Our vet examines the calf as soon as she arrives and offers a glimmer of hope. She knows specialists and has heard of successful operations. So why not try to restore the calf’s sight? The welfare of the animals is always our top priority. Together with our experienced animal keepers, we discuss the following: Will the calf survive the journey to Vienna? What are the chances of recovery? In the end, one thing is certain – we want to leave no stone unturned!

A small miracle

The day of the examination dawns and the calf survives the journey without any problems. But something almost unbelievable happens during the examination: the experts realise that the corneal opacity is shrinking. The calf’s eyeball has continued to grow, but the opacity is no longer there. Even though the calf may no longer have 100% vision, it is no longer blind in the affected eye.

Our Lightbringer

A wave of happiness flowed through our employees after this diagnosis. Was the calf just as happy? Finally seeing the sunlight and perceiving the lush pasture with their eyes? Anyone who knows Gut Aiderbichl knows that we give every animal a name. We immediately knew the right one for this special calf: Luzia. Because that means “the radiant one”, “the one who brings light” or “the one born into the light”.

Luzia, our little miracle, has not only been given a new life, but also a name that symbolises her journey from darkness to light.