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A mother of Sydney suspected that she was trying to kill her children, revealed how she became 'numb' when doctors diagnosed her unborn daughter with paralyzing spina Bifida.
Vanessa Hoffmann is said to have stabbed her three children, including her parapegical daughter, in the parental home in Baulkham Hills in the northwest of Sydney in the early hours of Monday morning.
She would have reportedly tried to take her own life, put herself in the stomach repeatedly before her husband Josh was awakened by the shouts of the children and reportedly struggled the knife of her.
Hoffmann, 47 and her children – daughters 16 and 13, and son, 10 – were urgently taken to the Westmead Hospital where they are in a stable state and she was arrested and under a police officer in her hospital bed.
But ten years ago the mother of three had revealed how She had resigned in December 2007, because the couple focused on founding a family – before getting the devastating diagnosis of her daughter's incurable condition.
“To my surprise and pleasure, a week after leaving my job, I found out that I was pregnant,” she wrote on the Mamamia news site in August 2013.
Hoffmann said that their lives changed forever in April 2008 when they underwent an ultrasonic control of 18 weeks.
“My husband and I have spent the past five years on an emotional, sad, amazing, hard, rewarding and hopeful journey,” she admitted in 2013.
Joshua Hoffmann (right) woke up just after 5 o'clock in the morning when his wife Vanessa Hoffmann (left) reportedly tried to kill their children before trying to take her own life
Joshua Hoffman called the police to their house in Baulkham Hills after waking up the sound of his children's screams
Police and ambulance employees bring one of the family members stabbed to the hospital, who still hold a pink teddy bear
'We had the scan in a local ultrasound and were so enthusiastic to see our baby for the first time!
“Our first sonograph did not say much to us and said he hadn't been in the work for that long. He left the room to get a second opinion that we didn't think about.
“By the time the third sonographer came to check the scan, I started to get nervous.”
As the minutes passed and more medical experts were called in to assess the scans, they realized that something was seriously wrong.
Their worst fears were confirmed when the doctor of the clinic encouraged them to immediately check in with their personal doctor.
'My appointment was not yet for two weeks, but the doctor told me quickly and strongly that I should see her that same day. “I will call her. Stay here and I'll come back,” said the doctor, “she wrote.
'With that, all three sonographers who stood in the room quickly left the room behind the doctor.
'Josh and I stayed behind ourselves in a poorly lit room, had no idea what just happened.
Detectives spent the day forensic with combing the house before they remove items in evidence
'We met the scans for 30 minutes. We were completely numb in that waiting room, not knowing what was wrong or what to think, or even praying something. '
Hoffmann said they didn't even dare to look at the scan while they ran to their doctor's office and presented it to her.
'She immediately took us to her office and read the scan report full of medical conditions that I had never heard of. I asked her, “What does that all mean?” She wrote.
“She said:” Your child has spina bifida. “There was a long break when tears started to roll over my face. '
While the couple struggled to get a grip on the diagnosis, she said they were introduced to specialized Dr. Carolyn West.
'We have seen a compassionate professor of the Royal North Shore Hospital who confirmed the diagnosis and brought us into contact with the leading Spina Bifida specialist at the time, Dr. ir. Carolyn West, “wrote Hoffman.
'Dr. West was absolutely great. She was in a room with us three and a half hours and answered all the question we had about anything and everything.
'She outlined the likely prognosis [our daughter] And nothing was coated with sugar.
A detective collects the wheelchair from Hoffmann's daughter from the family of the family around 12.30 pm on Monday
Buren said that the Hoffmann family was 'quiet but very friendly'
Hoffmann has the care and compassion of Dr. West credited to give them the power to take on the challenge that is presented together by the diagnosis.
“With renewed hope in a very devastating situation we went home, exhausted but grateful that we received accurate information,” she wrote.
'Dr. West gave us great hope how people with Spina Bifida have the potential to lead a pretty independent life and in general these children have a nice temperament and are pleasant to know. '
She said that despite her condition, their firstborn was 'the light that this world needs' and the love of their lives.
'[Our daughter] is now a beautiful five -year -old girl [in 2013] Who is a high -level parapegical, has Hydrocephalus, epilepsy and is preparing to start the regular school in a support unit next year, “she wrote.
'As many people agree, she is a light for this world and blesses everyone she meets. She would be enthusiastic about telling you that she has a healthy small 20-month old sister, whose pieces she loves.
“This sometimes overwhelming journey has helped Josh and me that we are today.
“It helped us to make contact with others that we would otherwise not have met and blessed with such a vibrant, precious, happy little girl who loves life and people.”
The police claim that the mother acted irregularly in the days prior to the alleged attack and it is assumed that Vanessa Hoffman suffered a psychotic episode.
Vanessa Hoffmann and her children are in a stable state in the Westmead Hospital, where the mother stays under the police officer
She added: 'I have heard very sad stories from other families who received a spina bifida diagnosis that was involved to hear that their child would have been damaged by brain, would not have a quality of life or even die.
“For the most part, this information is completely inaccurate and means that families endure more unnecessary trauma.”
The local community gathered around family, who previously lived in the nearby Castle Hill, and helped to raise money to a special wheelchair of $ 90,000 for their daughter after both parents had developed back injuries.
Hills Police Area Command Detective Superintendent Naomi Moore said that the police claimed that the mother acted irregularly in the days prior to the alleged attack and it is assumed that she had a psychotic episode.
'It is a family home and that family is not known to the police. Domestic violence incidents have never been reported to the police; It is completely unexpected, “said Det Supt Moore on Monday.
'It is certainly not something that I want to wake up on a Monday morning. It is a tragic morning. Those children must make a fully physical recovery. '
The mother was taken to the hospital under the police officer when a crime scene was established.
The mother was taken to the hospital under the police officer when a crime scene was set up
Forensic officers investigate the crime scene in the Sydney house of Hoffmanns
Det Spt Moore said that the injuries of the woman were reportedly inflicted and although she was in a stable state, she was not interviewed by the police.
A neighbor, who asked not to be identified, described the children as 'friendly and beautiful'.
Another neighbor was in shock and could not believe that stabbing had happened in the parental home.
'They are nice neighbors and calm but very friendly. We never expected something like that that would happen, “said the neighbor.
'We heard no noise and slept through the whole case until we heard the police -Sirens.
“We really feel for Josh. He is such a nice, normal sweet man and he always came by for a chat when we saw him on the street. '
The mayor of Hills Shire Council, Michelle Byrne, said that the incident was 'devastating' for the local community.
“As a mother and mayor my heart breaks for those children,” she said.
