Ruediger Schoenbohm (48), married to Anke (48), is father of two sons, Julian (20) and Maximilian (18). In 2007, 2 years after his younger son Maximilian was diagnosed with SSPE, the electrical engineer founded together with his wife and friends of the family the association “aktion-max e.V.”. It offers information about SSPE and its treatment and helps establishing contacts with experts, doctors and affected families around the world. Also, “aktion-max” offers help and networking for those families who are hit by the fate of SSPE. The association’s webpage www.aktion-max.de contains regular updates on Maximilian’s situation and media links. During the past 6 years “aktion-max” has initiated or supported several public initiatives to educate the public about the danger of measles, their potential complications such as SSPE, and the risks of lacking childhood immunization. The family and the association are based in the greater Stuttgart area, Germany.
