Heinz Hoenig (72) recently woke up from an artificial coma into which he was placed after an operation. The German actor is seriously ill and needs another operation. However, he himself does not yet know the seriousness of the situation, as his wife, Annika Kärsten-Hoenig (39), explained, according to a report in the "Bild" newspaper on Monday evening.

"Heinz doesn't yet know how bad things are for him," the daily newspaper quoted Kärsten-Hoenig as saying. "He doesn't know the two diagnoses for his heart and his esophagus. He only knows that he is in the hospital." She had previously stated that she was able to exchange her first words with her husband after his artificial coma on the morning of May 6th.

She says she is authorized to make decisions about Hoenig, but she doesn't want that. "I want my husband to make this important decision himself. Both operations are vital. Heinz has to say whether he wants the procedures or not." She wanted to support the actor's decision.

Hoenig, known for the 1981 film “Das Boot,” was put into an artificial coma after an initial procedure. At the weekend, Kärsten-Hoenig explained in an interview with the newspaper that a bacterial inflammation had damaged a stent on the heart that was inserted in 2012. Now his aorta needs to be replaced. A hole was also discovered in his esophagus.

A fundraising campaign recently launched by Ralph Siegel's (78) agency "Siegelring" for Hoenig, who does not have health insurance, has now broken the 100,000 euro mark on the "gofundme" platform. The donation goal, which was previously lower, is currently 150,000 euros.

The site explains that an upcoming operation “involves significant costs” and that in addition to the procedures, accommodation costs and medical care during recovery must also be paid. The fundraising goal was raised "in view of the recent deterioration in Heinz Hoenig's health due to a discovered hole in his esophagus."