Croatian Man in Coma in Ireland: Family in Despair
Denis Vejzović (38) suffered a brain aneurysm rupture on July 7, and his family is now pleading for help in finding a hospital that will take him for continued treatment before it's too late.
Denis Vejzović (38) suffered a brain aneurysm rupture on July 7, and his family is now pleading for help in finding a hospital that will take him for continued treatment before it's too late.
A 38-year-old Croatian citizen, Denis Vejzović from Rijeka, is in a coma at a hospital in Cork, Ireland, and his family is facing the possibility that doctors may turn off his life support. According to Novi list, the family has less than 72 hours until a new meeting with the neurosurgeon who could decide his fate. Denis, who has been living and working in Ireland for ten years, suffered a sudden brain aneurysm rupture on July 7, 2026, and has been in critical condition ever since.
As his closest relatives told Novi list, the medical team in Cork informed them that under Irish law, the decision about further life support is not in the family's hands but solely with the doctors. The family is in shock and desperately seeking any hospital in Croatia or another country willing to take Denis and continue his treatment.
Friend Dino recounted that on that fateful morning, everything seemed normal. Denis had breakfast with his wife, and nothing hinted at the drama that would follow. "Denis suddenly felt unwell. He said he was dizzy and couldn't see well. He called his wife, and she immediately called an ambulance, but in the meantime, he collapsed on the bed," Dino told Novi list. He was rushed to the hospital, underwent surgery, and has been in a coma since.
Denis has been hospitalized in Cork for nearly a month now, and the latest conversations with the medical team have been extremely difficult for the family. "They told us that, based on how Denis is responding to their tests and treatment, they don't see a possibility of significant recovery. They explained that under Irish law, the decision about further life support is in the hands of the medical team, not the family. That was very hard to hear," Dino recounted.
Denis's mother cannot accept the doctors' stance, especially because, as she claims, her son shows signs of consciousness. "Denis opens his eyes. True, his gaze is fixed, but I talked to him, and he shed a tear. The nurse told me yesterday that she asked Denis to squeeze her fist, and he did it three times. But even that, apparently, means nothing to them," the distraught mother told Novi list.
At the meeting with doctors, the family was told that in the next 72 hours, in their opinion, Denis's condition will not change. "I asked them if that means they can disconnect him from the machines without my approval. They said they could," the mother recounted. She emphasized that the doctors have no objection to Denis being transferred to another facility and are willing to provide all medical documentation and test results, but the problem is finding a hospital that will accept him.
The family is now pleading for help. "We need help for some hospital in Croatia or another country to take Denis and organize his medical transport. Together with all the machines he is currently connected to," Denis's mother urged. She added that they asked if there was another facility in Ireland where he could be moved, but they were told that no other intensive care unit exists there besides the one he is currently in.
Dino confirmed that at the last meeting, the family heard clearly for the first time that the decision is not theirs. "Yesterday, they clearly told us for the first time that it's their decision, not the parents' or the wife's. Now we are waiting for a new meeting with the neurosurgeon, where we will find out what happens next," he said. To help the family and organize medical transport, a donation campaign has been launched on the GoFundMe platform.
