In life we find ourselves with different experiences, sometimes beautiful to remember and others more difficult. Many times we have no control over these events, but we can always choose what attitude to take in the face of the unforeseen. Viktoria is a young woman who has faced a serious illness. Although her recovery has been slow and her path is complicated, she now shares her story of hers to motivate others and proves that love survives obstacles.
Viktoria is a young student from Illinois who liked to go out with her boyfriend and his friends. Occasionally, she felt some discomfort in her body, such as bouts of fever, extreme tiredness, and joint pain. She did not imagine that these symptoms would be the beginning of a long and hard journey.
In 2016, two years after finding no answers about her health, Viktoria was diagnosed with lupus . This disease causes the immune system to attack healthy cells in the body. It is difficult to diagnose because the symptoms are usually very different in each person.
Viktoria was fighting her condition with the best possible attitude. But in 2019, at age 23, she suffered toxic epidermal necrolysis, a drug reaction that causes skin and organ damage. The young woman had to be induced into a coma and she spent a month without waking up.
She says that at that time she dreamed a lot and heard the voice of her mother and the nurses who spoke to her every day, although she could not understand why they did not listen to her. Viktoria woke up with no sense of time and very thirsty. She had lost a lot of weight, her hair and she didn’t recognize herself in the mirror.
She was confused and could barely move, but she was comforted that Nick, her boyfriend, was always watching her. A month after Viktoria woke up, Nick made the decision to propose to her to show her that she would not budge from her side. The young woman was still very weak and couldn’t speak, but she slowly nodded yes to him and reached out to receive the engagement ring from her. With what little strength she had, she reached out to hug who was now her fiancé.
Viktoria’s mother, her family, her friends and her partner were always close to surround her with love in the difficult times she was going through. She had woken up from her coma, but the road to her recovery was still long. The young woman was hospitalized for around 240 days in different hospitals, where she underwent multiple surgeries and had to relearn how to walk, talk, eat and move.
Viktoria herself says she is more grateful than ever for the smallest things. She now appreciates being able to bathe, change by herself or go for a walk. “There are things we take for granted and we don’t know how important they are until we don’t have them anymore.”
After much effort and strength, Viktoria is now much healthier. Her hair grew back, she regained weight and in August 2022, three years after the difficult episode, Viktoria and Nick were finally able to keep their promise to each other. They lived their long-awaited wedding with their loved ones, celebrating the union of their lives and Viktoria’s health and recovery.
Viktoria says that while her process has been difficult, it is also motivating to be able to share her story. For her, having a support network that gave her encouragement and love was vital to be able to heal, but she understands that not everyone has that privilege, and that is why now she talks about her illness and her recovery on her social networks. . “I want to be for them. By sharing my story, I hope people find comfort and know that they are not alone in their struggle.”