This is Evelin. Her loved ones call her Evvu, and at her own request we will use the name Evvu on this page from here on.
Evvu is independent, strong-willed and quick-witted, and she is used to managing on her own. She is practical, direct and quick to look for solutions. If something can be done more conveniently, better or a little more cleverly, she is likely to find a way.
Her humour is teasing, dark, a little absurd and quite direct. It has not disappeared after the serious accident at work. In hospital, she has still been able to joke about her ‘metal’ and ‘jelly’ hands, and about how getting out of bed might eventually give her a six-pack.
Evvu is a mother of two, and her children are the most important people in her life. She wants to return home to them, but she has also been very clear that she does not want her children to become her carers. She wants to be with them, not place on them a responsibility that must remain with adults and, where needed, professional support.
Home life matters to her. There is a dog, two cats, a garden and almost always an idea for making the home better, more beautiful or more comfortable. She enjoys making things, home projects and the feeling that she can improve something herself.
She loves volleyball practice and is genuinely sorry that she cannot take part right now. Being active, spending time with friends and her children, and of course coffee, matter just as much to her.
The accident at work changed a great deal in a single moment, but it did not change who Evvu is. She is still strong, funny, independent and used to making her own decisions about her life.
Now she faces a completely new and unfamiliar challenge: learning, for a while, to accept help from other people.
What happened?
It was the evening of Friday, 7 August. There was about an hour left in the working day when a serious accident happened at work – both of Evvu’s hands were caught in a machine and severely injured.
An ambulance took Evvu to hospital. The first examinations revealed the extent of the injuries: five fracture sites were identified in each hand. Several fractures were displaced, and some involved multiple fragments.
Days in hospital, further examinations and preparations for surgery followed. On 11 August, Evvu underwent surgery. She says it lasted about ten hours. Several fractures were fixed with metal wires or pins, and plates and screws were also used in the right hand. In the post-operative X-ray report, the fractures that had been fixed were no longer described as displaced.
But the operation was only the beginning of the recovery process.
Both hands are currently firmly supported, and Evvu needs help from other people with many completely ordinary daily activities. She is used to managing on her own, so accepting help is a new and unfamiliar situation for her.
Evvu says the doctors have told her that a very long recovery lies ahead. It is not yet known how much movement and strength will return to her hands, or how they will function in daily life. The next stages of treatment and rehabilitation will become clearer at follow-up appointments. It is also not yet possible to say how much support Evvu will need along the way.
For now, we are taking one step at a time.
