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The “Take a Walk” e.V.

Back to an eventful life after a tragic accident

“Take a Walk” – the association founded by Jan’s friends collects donations to make everyday life with the diagnosis of “paraplegia” easier for him and to support him on his way back to a self-determined and active life.
Donate here

This is Jan Wohlleben

Jan is a traveller. Jan once said that he was looking for stories that he, as a grandpa, could tell his children and grandchildren around the campfire. And that's why he searches and finds: friends, experiences, insights, adventures and lots of love.

This is what Jan's fiancée says about him:

What happened?

“We all have two lives. The second begins when we realize we only have one.” - Tom Hiddleston
Jan's second life began on the afternoon of June 22, 2024. In a recreational accident he injured two cervical vertebrae, which required life-saving surgery. The spinal injuries led to incomplete paraplegia, which significantly limited his sensory and motor skills. Since then, Jan has been dependent on full-time care. This incision marked the beginning of the greatest challenge of his life - medically, physically and emotionally. The accident happened at a time full of anticipation: Jan and his great love Madalena were about to get married, a celebration with family and friends from all over the world. Instead of celebrating the best time of their lives, everything changed from one moment to the next.

Our ask

Before the accident, Jan was always on the move, enthusiastic about sports, fond of traveling and full of joy for life. The sudden standstill in his life is an enormous challenge. Now it's about accepting your second life and regaining your joy of life in a new, unpredictable setting. With your support we can help him! Every donation helps to enable Jan to undergo comprehensive rehabilitation that goes far beyond the health insurance benefits. These measures are crucial to giving him back as much mobility as possible and preparing his body for the future. Our hope is that Jan will achieve the miracle of proving the doctors' wrong and finding his own way.
Your help can make a big difference. Together we can give Jan the best possible chance for a fulfilling life. If any funds remain, they will be donated to the Africa Amini Alama e.V. association, which supports important health and education projects in Tanzania - a country to which he is very connected through his volunteering work.
Donation account
Flessabank - Bankhaus Max Flessa KG
Take a Walk e.V.
IBAN: DE70 7933 0111 0002 3410 07
BIC: FLESDEMMXXX

Why should you donate to Jan?

Jan is a special person for so many people. Read here what he means to his friends and family and why you should donate.

Who is Jan?

There are people who have a very special spirit, who are “one of a kind”, who are somehow special. Jan Wohlleben is such a person, you quickly notice it when you meet him. His passion for life is limitless. Jan celebrates life because it is unique and you should make the most of it.

Jan is an explorer, a traveller, a seeker, a doer who brings people together. He is driven by his curiosity about nature, culture and community. Jan is an optimist who looks for solutions instead of seeing problems and he is a really good friend.

Jan once said that he was looking for stories that, as a grandpa, he could tell his children and grandchildren around the campfire. And that's why he searches for and finds: friends, experiences, insights, adventures and lots of love.

The story behind “Take a Walk”

“Take a walk” – this was the motto under which Jan began his journey around the world in August 2016. His goal: collecting stories, memories and friendships across the borders of countries, continents and languages. On his “Take a Walk” blog, Jan reported on the experiences of his trip around the world; 55 countries in three years. Traveling slowly, if possible without a plane, was particularly important to him. “We have more in common than what separates us” – that’s what Jan wanted to show with his trip around the world: how differently people grow up and live and how in the end we are all human beings and therefore have share the most important common denominator.
Paradoxically, the motto “Take a walk” has now taken on a completely new meaning after the accident. Taking a walk – Jan pursues no lesser goal during the strenuous therapies in the hospital. The large circle of people who closely follow Jan's fate agree: If anyone can manage to grow beyond themselves and prove the doctors' predictions wrong, it is Jan Wohlleben.
© 2025 „Take a Walk” e.V. All rights reserved.