Vanja (43) was rushed to the hospital due to his deteriorating health. Hours after being admitted, hospital staff discovered him on the toilet floor with a fig lodged in his throat, which caused his brain to run out of oxygen and left him in a coma. The sudden collapse of the idyllic life of the Gudac family was announced on Nova TV’s supplement.
The first 15 days of Vanja’s coma were terrifying for his loved ones. Doctors informed them that he would not survive, but later asked when they could take him home. Vera Gudac, Vanja’s mother, compared her feelings to those of losing a piece of furniture.
Vanja responds best to music, videos, and audio messages. His biggest reward is a wink and a handshake. However, institutions have given up on Vanja, and his cousin Vlado Naglić believes that every message sent to him is soul food that gives him hope for a better tomorrow.
Tatjana Popović Naglić wants everyone who has heard Vanja’s story to send messages as a way to encourage him and give him hope for recovery. Dnevnik Nova TV reporter Domagoj Mikić spoke with Marina Raguž, a neurosurgeon at the Dubrava Clinical Hospital, who confirmed that messages can stimulate the brain and encourage patients to communicate with their loved ones more actively.
The family should talk to patients, play music for them, and stimulate them in any way possible because there is evidence that this can help stimulate the brain and improve communication skills. There are several cases where this method has been successful in Croatia, including Vanjinog’s case.