Our Actress Was on the Brink of Death: She Suddenly Felt Terrible Pain, and Emergency Surgery Saved Her Life

Croatian actress Ivana Roščić has shared her recovery journey after a near-fatal brain aneurysm rupture and hemorrhage in May 2022, an event that required emergency surgery to save her life. Four years later, Roščić states she is finally feeling well, though she approaches her recovery with caution.

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Thank you for asking, that's one of those things when I say 'finally I'm well,' I immediately grab it with caution. I'm well and I hope it stays that way. I had a healing process. Fortunately, I was left unharmed, but for the first three months, my vision was blurry, I couldn't hear, I had to sleep every two to three hours. Simply, it's brain surgery.

"Thank you for asking, that's one of those things when I say 'finally I'm well,' I immediately grab it with caution. I'm well and I hope it stays that way. I had a healing process. Fortunately, I was left unharmed, but for the first three months, my vision was blurry, I couldn't hear, I had to sleep every two to three hours. Simply, it's brain surgery," Roščić recounted in a recent interview.

The incident occurred suddenly after she sneezed in a store, experiencing excruciating pain. Initially diagnosed with hyperventilation by emergency services, her husband's quick thinking led her to KBC Rebro hospital, where she underwent surgery the same day. Roščić considers May 16th her "second birthday," calling her survival a true miracle.

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That May 16th I consider my second birthday. It is truly a miracle that I am alive today.

This life-altering experience has profoundly shifted her perspective, leading her to value health and family more deeply. Her passion for acting remains strong, and she recently presented her new film, "Male Stvari" (Small Things), at the Pula Film Festival. In the film, she portrays Irena, a woman facing marital breakdown and financial struggles while pregnant with her third child, a character she felt compelled to depict honestly.

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When I read the script, that was a familiar person to me. I have encountered many women in my life who think they will save their marriage with a third child, but it doesn't happen. It was important for me to portray them honestly, without embellishment.

Outside of her acting career, Roščić leads a private life focused on her family. She is a mother to an 11-year-old son, Tome, and a 9-year-old daughter, Margita. She describes the daily routine of helping with homework and managing school obligations as a shared experience with many parents. Roščić emphasizes that motherhood has given her life meaning, transitioning from the physical demands of caring for infants to the joys and challenges of raising older children.

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I repeat nature and society, I repeat mathematics, that's a bit harder for me, I repeat Croatian. The day school ended, my husband and I breathed easier. Suddenly space opens up, no more stress about being late, tons of birthdays... I think we are all in the same boat and any parent will identify with me.