Although she still faces a long road to recovery and no one knows how much of her pre-tragedy life she will regain, Eglė does not lose hope, positivity, or the smile on her face. She also has to come to terms with the fact that pain has become her constant companion. Despite everything, she will always be grateful to everyone she met during this challenging phase. And in this phase, she has to learn anew to live a different life than before.
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Suffered numerous severe injuries
“Probably while being treated in Alytus, I passed through half the hospital and experienced so much humanity and empathy here, which I needed most at that time. I felt the same way at the Republican Šiauliai Hospital. I will never forget when I was transferred from Šiauliai to the Intensive Care Unit in Alytus, and while being transported through the corridor, a staff member came up to me and simply stroked my face. During those three months in hospitals, there were so many people beside me that I would like to personally thank each one of them,” Eglė began her story.
The fateful event that turned Eglė’s life upside down happened on May 21 in the Radviliškis district. When a small private plane crashed, its pilot died, and Eglė, who was flying with him, suffered numerous bodily injuries – fractures of the lumbar vertebra, fibula, rib, and humerus, the latter damaging a nerve that now prevents her from controlling her right arm. Due to the injuries, she was unable to walk or sit for a long time. After the air crash, she was brought to the Republican Šiauliai Hospital, where she underwent surgery. After a week, the patient was transferred to the Alytus hospital.
Treatment in various departments in Alytus
Here she was treated in the Intensive Care and Resuscitation, Traumatology Orthopedics, Surgery, Nursing and Supportive Care, Geriatrics, Physical Medicine, and Rehabilitation departments.
The doctors in Alytus had to operate on Eglė’s leg. The surgery was performed by orthopedic trauma surgeons Arūnas Marcinkus and Virgilijus Leketas.
The patient spent most of her time – about a month – in the Nursing and Supportive Care department. Here she was cared for by Dr. Rasa Kariniauskienė.
“She was the greatest light for me in the hospital, doing more for me than she could, caring not only as a doctor but also as a person. She has so much empathy and professionalism. I remember when I was going to this department crying because it was very scary; everyone fears this department surrounded by rumors. But now I have the greatest fondness for it. It was precisely in nursing that after surgeries and long treatment, I was first helped to sit up,” Eglė shared her best moments in the hospital. After that, she had to stay in the Geriatrics department, and finally, when the trauma doctors gave permission to try standing on her feet, the patient was transferred to the
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation department.
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Throughout her time in Alytus hospital, Eglė was accompanied on her treatment journey by four physiotherapists.
Eglė’s first steps together with physiotherapist Jūratė Sieniukevičienė (on the right).
“We often thank doctors, but during this three-month journey with me, there were also nurses, their assistants, and cleaners. When you find yourself in a situation where you cannot be independent and cannot take care of yourself, these people are the closest and accompany you every day. Every conversation, every question when you cannot move and just lie looking at the ceiling is priceless. My sincerest thanks to them all. I also thank the hospital deputy Jonas Lazauskas, who took care of all organizational matters. I was never left to fate for a moment. And the best moment of this three-month journey was when I left the hospital on my own feet. It was like a miracle. Alytus hospital really put me back on my feet. I cried because it was hard to say goodbye to those who were like family to me for those three months,” Eglė still gets emotional talking about it.
Will always be grateful
Yes, she still does not walk as she did before. Yes, she suffers great pain. And yes, a long road to recovery still awaits her in the future. Unfortunately, no one knows what it will be like or what results will be achieved, but Eglė does not lose hope and faith, and the smile never leaves her face.
Even in the worst moments, the patient never stopped smiling at everyone around her because at that moment, that was the only way she could express gratitude.
“I know I will never be the same as I was before the accident. I don’t know if I will ever be able to control my right arm. Many challenges lie ahead. My family – my husband, parents, and sister – have always been by my side. Those challenges affected them deeply as well. Now everyone has to learn to live differently, but I know one thing – I am alive, I breathe, and I continue to cling to life. I will repeat once again – I will always be grateful to fate, the staff of both hospitals, and my family for all of this,” Eglė emphasized.
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