Emilka Skowron was 22 years old, a healthy, athletic college student who was passionate about pole dancing and had just returned to the gym after the first easing of pandemic restrictions. During her workout, an 8-millimeter aneurysm ruptured. What happened next is a story that doctors gave no chance of a happy ending, yet it proved that a new life, though different, doesn’t have to be any worse than the one she had before.

The Day That Changed Everything

A ruptured aneurysm and an extensive stroke left no room for hesitation. Emilka was admitted to the intensive care unit, where she did not respond to light for a long time, and life support kept her alive. The doctors spoke with Magda, Emilka’s mother, through the hospital window, because pandemic restrictions prevented anyone from entering the ward. The prognosis was clear: Emilka might not survive.

The key moment turned out to be the risky procedure to close the aneurysm through the groin, performed by Dr. Igor Szydłowski. The procedure was their last hope and, at the same time, a huge risk. For the family, it was also the moment when prayer became the only way to describe what was happening.

105 days and the first miracle

During her 105 days in the ICU, time was marked by cerebral fevers, repeated medical interventions, and conversations through glass windows. The family attributes Emilka’s recovery to the intercession of Saint Rita, the patron saint of hopeless causes. The oils of Saint Rita, which the nurses used to rub into Emilka’s skin on the ward, became a symbol of hope. Shortly thereafter, she showed her first reaction to light.

The first words Emilka spoke after three months of silence were her own first and last name. The nurse asked her name, and Emilka replied quietly, “Emilia Skowron.” For her family, it was a moment they still describe today with a single word: a miracle.

Rehabilitation and Getting Back on Your Feet

After leaving the hospital, a new chapter began—one that was just as challenging, though in a different way. Emilka and Magda were admitted to the Paley European Institute in Warsaw, where Emilka literally got back on her feet. Both describe the institute’s staff as combining professionalism with genuine compassion, which—in the face of such a long and exhausting journey—cannot be overstated.

Rehabilitation after an extensive stroke is a journey with no single endpoint. It is a slow process that requires tremendous perseverance from the patient and her loved ones. Magda and Emilka went through it together, which in itself is a story of an extraordinary bond.

Two women, two illnesses, one strength

The conversation reveals an important, often overlooked context: Magda, Emilka’s mother, has multiple sclerosis herself. In their daily lives, the roles of caregiver and care recipient are intertwined. Emilka reminds her mother to take her medication, and her mother fights to help her daughter stay active. They are each other’s anchor.

History also reveals the brutal truth about how difficult situations affect relationships. Emilka’s father and her boyfriend at the time couldn’t bear the weight of their new reality and left. Magda and Emilka were left on their own, but as they themselves say: strength is a woman.

Faith as a Lifeline

One of the most important themes of the conversation is faith—understood not only in a religious sense, but more broadly as the ability to hold on to hope when medicine has done all it can. For Magda and Emilka, faith was literally a lifeline that allowed them to survive day after day in the intensive care unit and month after month of arduous rehabilitation.

Another symbol of this faith is the trip to Medjugorje, which took place after Emilka was discharged from the hospital. Taking a bus trip with children in wheelchairs sounded like madness. When it turned out that stone steps led up to Apparition Hill, some men we didn’t know offered to carry Emilka up on a litter. And they did.

Garlands, liqueurs, and auctions for Emia

Rehabilitation is expensive, and the public healthcare system does not cover all needs. Magda and Emilka have found their own way to raise funds: they make handmade Christmas wreaths and grape liqueurs, which they auction off on Facebook. Their profile, “Auctions for Emi,” is more than just a fundraiser. It’s also proof that people who want to help—for no other reason than simple human solidarity—can rally around someone in need.

If you'd like to support Magda and Emilka, you can find them on Facebook under the name "Licytacje dla Emii," spelled with two "i"s.

Morning Coffee and a New Life

The doctors said that Emilka would never be able to drink coffee on her own. Today, Magda and Emilka celebrate their morning coffee together as a small but important victory. “In this cup, you can find happiness, celebrate it, and enjoy it,” says Emilka. This sentence is also the key to understanding their entire story.

Life after a tragedy is different. But it doesn't have to be worse. In it, you can find beauty in places you hadn't noticed before, and strength you never knew you had.