In a story that seems straight out of a movie, Prof. Dr. Cristian Lupașcu, head of the Surgery Clinic II and the Multi-Organ Harvesting and Liver Transplant Center at “Sf. Spiridon” Hospital in Iași, shared with Ziarul de Iași the details of an incredible case that shocked the entire medical community. A woman from Bacău County, a nurse with vocal training, went through a remarkable experience in 2019 after being diagnosed with post-hepatitis C cirrhosis.
The woman had been on the liver transplant waiting list for two years, but her condition was still relatively stable before the operation. However, her story took a dramatic turn. After a successful liver transplant at the Iași center, everything seemed to be going well. Yet, just six days after the surgery, she slipped into a coma, and her case became a medical mystery. Renowned neurologists from Iași, along with a neurology professor from the United States, examined her, but no one had an explanation. They all gave the same chilling response: there was no hope.
“Although the graft was functioning perfectly and her other organs were stable, neurologically, the patient was in a deep coma. All the tests indicated a severe condition, and the chances of recovery were minimal,” said Prof. Dr. Lupașcu. The doctors appeared to be at an impasse, and the woman’s son, a doctor himself, was informed that his mother had very little chance of survival.
The Musical Miracle: The Patient “Gave an A Minor”
The woman remained in a coma for two weeks, yet the doctors refused to give up hope. In a scene that became unforgettable in Prof. Dr. Cristian Lupașcu’s career, an unexpected moment changed everything. “I visited her daily, talking to her, even though she was in a coma. One day, I thought of asking her to sing. I requested an A minor, and incredibly, she produced that musical note in a single breath. The whole team erupted in applause,” the doctor recounted.
Slowly but surely, the woman began to recover. Her ability to speak returned gradually, but singing, which seemed like the most impossible aspect to regain, became the key to her recovery. “The moment she delivered that clear and precise A minor, I knew she would come back to life,” Prof. Lupașcu recalled, emotional.
A Happy Ending
After weeks of struggle and intensive therapy, the woman regained her ability to speak, and a year after the transplant, she could articulate words almost normally. Her story became a symbol of hope and medical perseverance. “We do not question God’s miracles, but medically speaking, it was probably a combination of the long wait on the transplant list and the change in medication. It was a case we will never forget,” concluded Prof. Dr. Lupașcu.
The incredible case of the patient from Bacău stands as a living testament to the complexity of medicine and the remarkable power of the human spirit. From a seemingly hopeless coma, the woman rose, and her voice, once again able to sing, became the sound of her rebirth.
A literal and figurative miracle, with musical notes echoing like a victory over the impossible!
