372 Days of Waiting, One Moment of Joy.233
For 372 days, he had waited.
Every morning, as the sunlight filtered through the shelter windows, he would sit at the edge of his kennel and watch the world pass by. Families strolled down the rows of cages, laughing, pointing, excited. Little hands pressed against the glass for tiny puppies, children coaxing timid dogs forward with soft whispers. He wagged his tail anyway, just in case. Maybe today, someone would see him. Maybe today, someone would choose him.
But day after day, week after week, the visitors moved on. They smiled at him, patted the kennel bars, said “good boy,” but then continued down the line. They were looking for something specific—a smaller dog, a fluffier coat, a breed they’d dreamed of. And each time, he watched them leave, curling back into the corner of his kennel, ears drooping, eyes searching for a spark of hope.
Still, he never stopped hoping. Somehow, somewhere deep inside, he knew the right person would come.
One quiet afternoon, when the shelter had slowed down and the hum of fluorescent lights filled the air, a man walked in. He didn’t rush, didn’t scan the kennels with a checklist. He moved slowly, deliberately, as if he were letting the shelter itself guide him. And then he stopped. Right in front of the cage. Not a word, not a sound—just stillness.
The dog tilted his head, ears pricking up. The man knelt, letting the dog see him at eye level, letting him choose. And for the first time in what felt like forever, the dog hesitated—not in fear, but in careful consideration. Then, slowly, he stepped forward. He pressed his head into the man’s lap, sighing with a weight that had been carried for far too long. Relief, recognition, trust—all wrapped into that small gesture.
It was in that moment that the dog knew: he had been seen. Truly seen. And the man, too, understood that this wasn’t just any dog—it was the dog he had been waiting for, though he didn’t realize it until now.
By the time they left the shelter, the sun was dipping low, casting a warm glow over the parking lot. The dog looked up at the man, tail wagging with quiet joy, and took a final glance at the cold, lonely kennels that had been his world for so long. No more cold floors. No more endless days of being passed by. Just a warm bed, a name, and a best friend who had finally come.
Some things in life are worth waiting for. Some moments, no matter how long the wait, are worth every lonely day, every hopeful glance, every sigh of longing. And this—this was one of them.
“Help Józio Reclaim His Childhood After a Tragic Accident”.1981
Our beloved son, Józio, is the light of our lives. He is our world, and every day we are grateful that he is alive. Yet, there is a day we will never forget—a day that changed our lives forever. On March 11, 2021, we truly understood fear. Even now, when we think back, our hearts still race uncontrollably. Every single day since then has been a battle for his life and a fight to secure a future where he can thrive.
It all began with a tragic accident, one fleeting moment that turned our lives into a nightmare. Our youngest son, Józio, suffered a severe electric shock. The events that followed are etched in our memories as a blur. He lost consciousness right at home, and we immediately started resuscitation. But the worst was yet to come…
The ambulance arrived, and the hospital team fought tirelessly for forty long minutes to bring him back to life. Forty minutes of relentless resuscitation, where time seemed to stretch endlessly. Our world collapsed in an instant. The fear, the shock, the uncertainty—it was all-consuming. We spent countless sleepless nights filled with dread over our child’s survival, the constant beeping of monitors, the administration of endless medications, and the overwhelming weight of not knowing whether he would make it.
And yet, Józio survived. That survival was our first miracle, one for which we remain eternally grateful every day. The following months were a grueling journey through numerous hospital wards. Initially, doctors fought to stabilize his vital functions, and later, they dedicated themselves to maintaining his fragile health. Each day felt like a victory, each breath he took a testament to his resilience.
During that time, we heard the harshest words a parent can face more times than we can count: “Please prepare for the worst. He won’t recover. He won’t respond. There is nothing more we can do…” But we refused to lose hope. For six months, we were patients at the Budzik Clinic, a place that restored our faith. It was there that we began to believe that with relentless effort, therapy, and love, we could bring our precious son back to us.
Today, our little boy faces immense challenges. He has quadriplegia, epilepsy, heart failure, and is fed through a PEG tube. He cannot speak. Yet, despite everything, there are glimpses of the child we once knew. He shows minimal awareness of his surroundings. He smiles when he hears a guitar. He focuses on videos from before the accident, moments of unbridled joy and playfulness. These small victories—so fragile yet so powerful—give us hope and remind us that Józio is still with us in spirit and in essence.
No parent should ever endure the anguish of watching their child fight for life while they feel helpless. Our situation is nothing short of a nightmare. But we know surrender is not an option. We will continue to fight with every ounce of strength, every resource available, and every heartbeat of hope we can muster.
This is why we are reaching out. The road ahead is long, and our son requires intensive rehabilitation to reclaim as much function and awareness as possible. Every therapy session, every piece of specialized equipment, and every medical procedure is critical—and costly. The funds raised through this campaign will enable us to provide Józio with the treatments, devices, and care he needs to maximize his chances of recovery.
We do not know what the future holds, but we do know this: we will never stop fighting for Józio. Every day is a chance to work toward a life where he can experience joy, communication, and connection, however small those moments may be. Your support can make a tangible difference, bringing him closer to that future and giving our family the strength to continue this relentless journey.
Seeing our son smile at a sound, respond to familiar sights, or show a flicker of recognition fuels our resolve. It is proof that, despite the unimaginable, Józio still has a fighting spirit. We owe it to him to fight as fiercely as he does every day. Your help ensures that we can continue this journey, sustain his rehabilitation, and provide him with the tools and therapies necessary for progress.
Józio is more than his medical conditions. He is a miracle we were granted, a child who embodies courage, resilience, and the will to live. We are determined to give him every possible chance to thrive. Each donation, each word of support, and each act of kindness brings us closer to that goal. With your help, we can provide him with the care and hope he deserves.
Please join us in this fight. Help us give Józio a future filled with moments of joy, growth, and discovery. Together, we can turn every challenge he faces into an opportunity for progress, every setback into a step toward recovery, and every day into a testament to the power of love, determination, and hope.
We will fight for our son, and with your support, we can make this fight a little easier, a little brighter, and full of promise. Every gesture of help matters. Every contribution matters. Your support is not just assistance—it is a lifeline, a bridge toward a future where Józio can continue to grow, smile, and live.
Thank you for being part of Józio’s journey, for believing in him, and for helping us fight for the life of our beloved son. Together, we can give him a chance at the future he deserves—a life filled with love, hope, and possibilities.
—His loving parents
