My Wife’s Life Was Saved by Miracles in Italy

With Profound Thanks to Prayer, Friends, and Italian Healthcare

“Your wife has blood on her brain.” Those words by a radiology tech at the small hospital in Liguria, Italy were the greatest shock of my life. She continued, “she needs to be transported to Genoa for emergency surgery”.

What led up to that point and what followed fit into only one category — the miraculous. Things could have been tragically different. The only response, then, is awe and profound gratitude.

Our lives were forever shaped by what happened.

The Lead-Up

We had a routine for several years. During our trips, primarily to Italy, my wife, Shahla, left a few days before me and stayed a few days after I left. The typical trip was 2–2.5 weeks for me, and a bit longer for her — it gave her a bit longer to relax and enjoy the lovely area of Liguria.

It was not unusual then that she left a week before me on this occasion. I was in the middle of a major project at work and had a pivotal role. I was apprehensive about leaving, but I felt I could complete my part after my return.

After she arrived in Italy, our phone conversations included her complaint of soreness in her neck and head. Since we both exercised a lot and since transitions in travel and bedding can cause problems, it didn’t strike us as unusual.

After my arrival, we had a nice time for two weeks, but her pain persisted. It was primarily in her head and was severe and shooting at times. Given her history of headaches, we still did not attribute her problem to anything out of the ordinary. Nevertheless, we consulted a doctor in the US, who thought it sounded like musculoskeletal pain.

As my departure from Italy approached, her pain was severe, though transient. I was under pressure to return to work, and, given our custom, she insisted I leave as scheduled.

Miracle #1 — Deciding not to leave

I was scheduled to leave on a Monday, and my transportation to the airport was arranged for 10 AM. I was all packed. I was uncomfortable with her condition, but it was hard to imagine not going as planned.

Around 8 AM Monday, I went to a nearby church and prayed. After a few minutes, I recognized that I must stay –there would be no life if something happened to her. We canceled the pickup one hour before my scheduled departure, and I notified my work.

That afternoon, we saw an Italian doctor, who also thought it was a musculoskeletal problem. He said a CT scan would be needed in a few more days if her condition persisted.

We planned to return together to the US in two more days. We were scheduled to leave for the airport at 5:30 AM on Wednesday.

Miracle #2 — We didn’t get on the plane

Shahla acted ok on Tuesday. We did our usual activities and packed to return.

At 4 AM Wednesday, one hour before our scheduled pickup, she got out of bed. I was awake and noticed that she staggered out of bed. She went to the bathroom and threw up. I looked at her face and saw something was wrong.

For the next few minutes, I asked her name and her social security number, which she said correctly. But she was groggy and wanted to go back to bed. My first thought was that she had taken too much Tylenol, Advil, or the Italian headache reliever.

I had looked up the phone number for emergencies the day before; I called it. Getting my point across was difficult, but someone who spoke English eventually spoke with me. About 20 minutes later, an ambulance arrived.

The EMS tech thought she looked stable, but she was now completely unconscious. They decided to transport her to a hospital 25 minutes away for a CT scan.

It was after the test was well underway that the radiology tech told me what was going on. Nothing prepared me for hearing she had blood on her brain or that she needed emergency surgery in Genoa. The tech said I could not ride in the ambulance to the hospital.

Miracle # 3 — Our Friends

I called our wonderful Italian friends, Alex and Paola. I explained the situation, and Alex immediately said Paola would pick me up and go to Genoa with me.

For the next hour, time crawled. Paola arrived and we headed to Genoa, a city of confusing one-way streets. We finally asked a taxi driver for directions; he graciously led the way to the hospital.

Miracle #4 — Our Doctor

At last, we reached the hospital, nurses led us to the right area, and I met the doctor.

He told me that Shahla had an unusual condition — a subdural hematoma. It occurs when a blood vessel bursts in the area between the skull and the brain and blood accumulates. It is usually caused by a severe blow to the head. Without intervention, the pressure of the extra blood becomes too great, the brain ceases to function, and death follows.

He said he would drain the blood by cutting holes in the skull. He also said, to my enormous relief, that she should be fine after the procedure. He had done the procedure numerous times.

I learned that he was Greek, living and working in Italy. He was a neurosurgeon, and his English was quite good.

For the next 3 hours, I prayed and prayed. Our friend, the angel Paola, sat with me and we talked a little. She prefers to speak in Italian but having her there was very comforting.

Finally, the doctor emerged. He said things went exactly as he expected and that Shahla was awake.

Miracle # 5 — The Italian Health System

Shahla’s most vivid recollection was waking up, alone, and with her hands restrained. I was not there since I was told I could not stay beyond visiting hours. She had no idea what had happened. It was a terrible shock to her to be restrained and bandaged, but kind nurses and doctors were reassuring and helpful.

The kindness and competence of the doctors and nurses were indescribable over the course of the week she was in the hospital, ensuring she was out of danger. They were constantly attentive and went out of their way to make her comfortable. They waived visiting hours so I could stay most of the time with her.

Paola and Alex also helped tremendously. They ferried me between our apartment and Genoa several times.

The Gratitude

It has been several years since Shahla and I were given the gift of more time together. That is the most profound reason for gratitude, though it flows from all the miracles and gifts we received during the crisis.

I often think of the miracle of receiving guidance at the church to stay with her. It was clearly the right choice, but it continues to amaze me that I made it since I was driven in my job. I cannot thank myself or my upbringing for making the choice; I can only thank God. Anything less does not rise to the level of gratitude I need or feel.

The same feeling concerns Shahla’s loss of consciousness just before we left for the airport. There is little doubt the pressurization of the airplane would have precipitated a midair crisis, with little recourse. One can call it pure luck but being grateful for luck is insufficient. A transcendent type of gratitude is called for in such circumstances.

All the people I mentioned were angels to us. Our friends were selfless and supportive. The doctor was highly competent and reassuring. The nurses and other doctors who treated her were compassionate and caring beyond any expectation. Gratitude to them is complete only from the depths of the heart.

We still love being in Italy to admire the gorgeous scenery, the charming people, the unique heritage of history and art, and the superb cuisine. We are thankful every time we are there. But we are there only because of the miracles that allowed us to continue. With every beautiful experience we have there, we simultaneously feel gratitude for the gifts we received in the most extraordinary way.