Matej was only 10 years old when he was hit by a car in a pedestrian crossing. A severe brain injury took away his childhood and his normal life. He was in a coma for eight months, and doctors didn't give much hope. They hinted to his mother, Mirka, to prepare for a future with a bedridden and mentally disabled son. „I refused to accept it. I was by his side constantly, and when he woke up from his coma after eight months, I knew we had been given a second chance at life and that we would do the impossible to help Matejko reintegrate into life as best as possible.“
Today he is 27 years old. He is dependent on his mother, who takes care of him constantly. Despite this, Matej has accomplished a huge amount of work – he can sit up, he can drink, eat things like a croissant, take a few steps with a walker, and ride a tricycle. He understands everything, perceives the world around him, and can smile. He doesn't speak, but he articulates clearly, simply put – you can communicate with him. “Mentally, he has reached the level of about a 12-year-old child, but as his loved ones say, „thank God for at least that“.".
After the tragedy, Mirka's marriage disintegrated, her father couldn't handle the situation, and so Mirka was more or less on her own. She admits that for the first two years after the accident, she dedicated herself entirely to Matejko. Rehabilitations were and are key for him. No other medicine helps his condition. „After our stay in Kováčová, we started Adeli. We were there for a month, then a month at home, and then Adeli again. At Adeli, they ordered the PEG tube to be removed so he could learn to swallow and eat by mouth. At Adeli, they got him from a lying position to a sitting one. The world from a wheelchair is, after all, more beautiful and cheerful than from a bed,“ his mother Mirka boasts about her son's progress.
Immediately after the accident, she left her job and became her son's caregiver. And it continues to this day, an incredible 17 years. They are attached to each other and don't get on each other's nerves. Matej likes to draw and listen to music, and Mirka found her own world in jewelry making. „I call it therapy through work, and I enjoy it.“
Rehabilitations are an essential part of Maťko's life. He needs to return to Adeli so that his tendons do not shorten and so that his steps with the walker become more stable and confident. „He still has chances for progress, but without the support and help of good people, we have no chance to get to Adeli. I will be eternally grateful to anyone who donates to Matejko. Every contribution makes a big difference.“
