MOVIE-LIKE STORY OF A SERBIAN WOMAN AND A CROATIAN MAN: They met during treatment in Russia, supported each other through the hardest days, and then said the fateful “YES”!

Anđela Radičević (25) from Serbia and Antonio Širola (33) from Croatia, both diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, did not know each other until fate brought them together in Russia.

They met in a hospital corridor. They became each other’s support, a friendship was born, and then love followed! Today, they say they are healthy and happily married.

She was 23 when she found out she had the illness; her whole world collapsed, but she did not give up.

“I couldn’t walk”

– The symptoms appeared in 2019. Unfortunately, the coronavirus pandemic soon began and for four years I had no diagnosis. I attributed the symptoms to a vitamin deficiency. There were times when I couldn’t feel my legs from hip to heel, I couldn’t walk, I had mild tremors, double vision… – Anđela, originally from Lazarevac, recalls for Kurir.

The moment she learned she had multiple sclerosis broke her.

– I cried the entire day, but I knew there was a much better solution than therapies in Serbia alone. In Russia, there is a possibility of stopping the disease; stem cell transplantation is performed, which completely halts its progression – she explains.

What followed was a struggle to go abroad for treatment and to raise funds.

“Prayer was important to me”

– Prayer was very important to me. I am normally someone who panics about health. By coincidence, I had a planned trip to the Ostrog Monastery, and my mother told me that day, when I received the diagnosis: “Don’t go, you are not well.” I replied that I had to go to Ostrog, and later I also went to Aegina. There I calmed down, and the money was raised in record time—in two months.

She went to Russia for treatment at the beginning of March 2024. She received daily therapies. First, stem cells were collected, and then she underwent six days of chemotherapy.

– After a month, the doctor said: “MS free.” At that moment I felt excitement, joy, disbelief. Now I function normally, like before.

Antonio is from Rijeka, a chef by profession, and he arrived for treatment in Russia seven days after her.

She heard that a patient from Croatia was coming to the hospital and was happy that she would be able to communicate with someone from the region.

They got married last year

– I waited for him in the corridor; he was in a wheelchair. The disease, so to say, affected him more severely. He could walk only minimally, he had strong tremors and spasms. It was not love at first sight, but I somehow felt that our meeting would have a special story. We spent time together, talked, shared feelings about the illness and hospital stay. Little by little, love appeared – Anđela says happily:

– When I left the hospital, we continued to communicate regularly and realized how similar we were and how much connected us. When he also left the hospital, I chose to go on a student exchange to Rijeka. And I never returned to Serbia. We saw each other every day, soon started living together, and we got married on November 22 last year. It was harder for my family to accept it; they were afraid how we would manage since we have the same diagnosis, but over time they came to accept it.

Antonio is still undergoing rehabilitation to fully stand on his feet, but he no longer relies on a wheelchair.

– Russia really did a miracle for us – Anđela says gratefully.

During their conversations, love gradually developed, along with a lot of compassion, understanding, and support.

– One special moment was when I ran out of snacks, and my appetite had increased due to therapy. I complained to Antonio, and he brought me all of his. We really took care of each other. When I was discharged from the hospital, I didn’t manage to say goodbye to him, and that was very hard for me. I told myself I would make up for it one day. We informed the doctors in Russia about our relationship; they were happy and congratulated us.

Anđela says that her and Antonio’s love feels like a movie story, and that she has started writing a novel.

– I already have one collection of poems behind me, and I would like our story to be a great inspiration to people who have lost faith and hope. But I also have to emphasize faith, because I prayed to find a husband who would accept and love me. Between us there is great understanding, dedication, and care. I must praise my husband; he is truly wonderful.