Polish firefighter wakes after 1.5 years in coma

30-year-old firefighter Piotr Milczarek is the eighth patient to be successfully treated at the clinic run by popular Polish actress Ewa Błaszczyk.

Warsaw, September 12, 2024. Ewa Błaszczyk-Janczarska, President of the "Akogo?" Foundation (L), neurologist Professor Wojciech Maksymowicz (R), and Piotr Milczarek (C), a patient recently awakened from a coma at the "Budzik" Adult Clinic.

(amb) PAP/Marcin Obara

He had been in a coma for the past year and a half. Milczarek fell into a coma after a car accident in which he sustained severe injuries.

While returning home from his shift, he helped victims of a car crash but was himself hit by an oncoming vehicle.

After three weeks of initial treatment, he was admitted to Poland's most renowned clinic for adults in a coma, which was established in February 2022.

The clinic was inspired by the "Budzik" children's clinic established in 2013 by the "Akogo?" Foundation.

Currently, there are three "Budzik" clinics in Poland: the original one for children in Warsaw, another for adults in Olsztyn opened in 2016, and a second one for adults in Warsaw.

The founder of the foundation supporting coma patients is actress Ewa Błaszczyk, whose daughter has had similar issues for years.

Every year in Poland, around 600 people fall into a coma, including about 150 children, with more than half being victims of crimes, mainly road accidents and violence.

Milczarek went into a coma following a severe car accident. While on his way home from work, he assisted crash victims but was struck by another vehicle (PAP/Marcin Obara)

Source: IAR/PAP

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