An oil stain on the road and everything turned upside down. Michal was a handsome 28-year-old and thoroughly enjoyed life. After technical school for transportation, he decided to try his luck in the Czech Republic. „You earned more there than here,“ says the likeable guy from his wheelchair. He worked there in a mine as a maintenance worker. „I worked there for 8 years,“ he specifies.
Then came September 6, 2008. An ordinary Saturday. Mišo came home to Slovakia, looking forward to a fire fighting competition, as he had been a volunteer firefighter for years. After the competition, he was still digging a drainage ditch in the yard and was planning to go to a disco with his friends in the evening. A classic village Saturday night out. He said goodbye to his mom, got in his car, and headed to the neighboring village to pick up his girlfriend. However, he never arrived there.
He skidded on oil spilled on the road, spun into a concrete pillar, and disaster struck. Polytrauma. He woke up after 2 months in a coma. He couldn't speak, walk, or recognize almost anyone. Doctors couldn't predict Michal's future. His mother, Jarmila, could only hope that her debilitated son would fight and return to life. „I relied on the fact that he was a young, healthy, and strong man until then. And that he never gave up.“ Rehabilitation began almost immediately, and Michal slowly progressed. After a few months, he could sit in a wheelchair and even feed himself with one hand when he had an epileptic seizure, and his condition worsened sharply again. „We were back almost at the beginning. We taught him to read, write, and speak using a first-grade primer, and a physiotherapist worked with him at home as much as possible,“ recalls his mother, Jarmilka.
In 2013, Michal first came to Adeli. And his right hand, which had been bent and therefore non-functional since a car accident, was immediately mobilized. His next dream goal was transferring from bed to wheelchair. That happened in 2020. „It was a really big step for me; I didn't always have to call Mom to help me,“ boasts Miško, who prefers a positive outlook. He likes to joke, laugh, and wants good spirits to prevail every day. He had to come to terms with his condition, but that doesn't mean he's giving up. On the contrary, he hopes and believes he will definitely take a few steps on his own. The chances are there, especially since he has finally stopped „tiptoeing,“ which means he should be able to manage proper foot placement. However, without intensive rehabilitation at Adeli, it won't happen. Miško, though, needs good people to help him. They can't save up from his disability pension and his mom's senior pension.
He knows he was reborn and appreciates life all the more for it. He doesn't cry about ending up in a wheelchair, about mainly functioning with his mom, or about not having had time to start his own family. He also understands his friends, with whom he has limited contact. „Everyone has a wife, children, and their own worries. But when we meet at our village events, we always have a good chat,“ says Michal, whose speech has also returned. It's not perfect, but it's understandable, and that's the main thing. His memory is also fine, except for his short-term memory. He only remembers a few months before the accident, and when he reads a car magazine, he has to reread each article multiple times. “To understand the content,„ explains his mother, who dotes on her son. She also involves him in household chores – Miško likes to peel potatoes, grind breadcrumbs, and chop rolls for bread dumplings. Every day he diligently exercises for an hour, and when he wants to relax, he watches automotive magazines on TV and “enjoys life. Because it's a gift."
