Cycling with epilepsy – with our Tandem Pino E

Freedom that lasts – even when life is unpredictable

Some turning points divide life into a before and an after. For the Kriemann family, it was the day their daughter Mia was diagnosed with leukaemia at the age of four. From one moment to the next, everything revolved around treatments, hope and perseverance.

The doctors were able to defeat the cancer. But the therapy left its marks. “The chemotherapy damaged several areas of her brain,” says Mia’s mother, Maike. “This led to cognitive impairment and epilepsy.”

Today, Mia is eleven years old. She learns, laughs and discovers the world – at her own pace. Perceiving, processing, remembering: many of these processes are far more exhausting for her than for other children her age. On top of that come the epileptic seizures. Sometimes everything remains calm for almost a year, then suddenly they return. In extreme cases, up to ten a day. For her family, this means staying alert at all times, remaining flexible and never being able to plan completely.

An active child with a great spirit of discovery

Despite all the challenges, Mia is above all one thing: a cheerful child. She loves trips to the playground, little tours through the neighbourhood and, most of all, the library. Every two weeks, she browses the shelves with her mother and comes home with a stack of children’s books. Stories are her own little big world.

Mobility was a limiting factor for a long time. Riding a bike independently is hardly possible for Mia due to her coordination difficulties. And the constant risk of an epileptic seizure made every ride on two wheels a hazard.

“We relied entirely on the car,” says Maike. “Stopping somewhere spontaneously, just setting off on a bike – that was unimaginable for us.” Until the family discovered our Pino E.

Our tandem was discovered by the association "Hilfe für krebskranke Kinder" from Vechta – an organisation that works tirelessly for children with cancer and their families. They not only made the connection to us, but also contributed part of the purchase price.

Safe on the road. Even with special needs

The Pino E is no ordinary tandem. Mia sits in the front seat, securely strapped in, her feet fixed in special pedals. Should a seizure occur, she remains safely in position. For her parents, this makes a huge difference.

What Mia enjoys most is one thing above all: the feeling of truly being part of it.

“Even on the first test ride, she didn’t want to get off,” Maike recalls. “The wind in her face, pedalling along, experiencing her surroundings – that means freedom to her.”

And that is exactly what it’s about. Not just being transported, but being part of the movement. Riding actively. Belonging.

More than mobility: a piece of normality

Daily life has also changed for Maike and her husband Stefan.

“We can now cover many shorter distances without the car. That gives us so much more flexibility,” says Stefan. “And above all, shared moments that feel light – not like organisation, but like living.”

Getting an ice cream, going to the playground spontaneously, making a quick stop at the library – things that are taken for granted by many families become possible again with the E-tandem.

For the Kriemanns, the Pino E is not just a bicycle. It is a piece of independence. A safe solution for a child with special needs. And a way to remain active despite medical uncertainties.

And sometimes, that is the greatest freedom of all.

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