Life has not been kind to either of them. Both have been battling serious illnesses since early childhood, are unable to walk independently, and rely on a device to breathe. Despite difficulties that would completely throw others off track, Amy (14) and Tomáš (17) live their lives to the fullest and support each other in every situation. And what they accomplish together is something that many healthy young people cannot achieve.
At first glance, Tomi seems like a boy whom nothing can stop.
When he was ten months old, he was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy.
Doctors gave him two to five years to live—but Tomi has long since exceeded these predictions and is now 17 years old.
When Amy from Podtureň in the district of Liptovský Mikuláš was three years old, doctors diagnosed her with a serious genetic disorder.
Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy weakens the muscles and later also affects the lungs and heart. Amy has already had to undergo numerous operations. The last one was a seven-hour scoliosis operation on her spine. It was successful, made it easier for her to breathe, and gave her hope that one day she would be able to walk without a walking aid.
Tomáš from Bratislava an even more serious diagnosis. At the age of ten months, he was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy, a disease that causes progressive muscle wasting and eventually loss of respiratory function. Doctors gave him only two to five years to live. But Tomáš has defied these grim predictions—today he is 17 years old.
After undergoing a challenging scoliosis operation in Brno last year, Amy needed intensive rehabilitation. For the first four months, she was only allowed to be in two positions—lying down or standing with the help of a walking aid. She mastered this period with great determination. Thanks to a fundraising campaign, she was also able to undergo rehabilitation at ADELI Medical Center Piešťany. This was also where Tomi was undergoing rehabilitation.
Amy and Tomi support each other.
The two met on social media when they became part of a charity calendar for the ADELI Foundation.
"We first saw each other in photos and then started writing to each other," says Tomi.
A month later, they met in person during rehabilitation. Tomi had to spend a lot of time lying down at the time.
"Amy always took the time to visit me in my room," he praises her. An extraordinary friendship developed between them.
They have known each other for several months now.
"It's more than friendship, and we are very grateful for that," they both say.
Tomi was particularly happy when Amy Bratislava him in Bratislava .
"It was wonderful just to be together," he says.
Tomi loved music from an early age. He taught himself to play the piano and began composing. However, he particularly loves singing—for a long time, he only sang for himself or his parents, as he was too shy to sing in front of others.
Thanks to the support from the 2% tax allocation for the ADELI Foundation, he met the singer Tina.
"She was very nice and open," says Tomi. When she heard that he sang beautifully, she asked him to sing something for her.
"I was embarrassed and trembling," he recalls.
After much persuasion, he finally sang for her.
"She really liked my singing and told me she would like to work with me," says Tomi. Although he could hardly believe it, Tina actually contacted him and visited him at home. Shortly afterwards, he was sitting in her studio.
Today, they are preparing a duet together and have even performed together already.
"Since then, my attitude toward singing has changed—Tina has motivated me a lot," says Tomi.
This year, Tomi finished elementary school and was determined to go to secondary school. His mother wanted him to take a break because of a planned operation in Germany, but Tomi wouldn't hear of it. He started looking for a school himself.
"I contacted a lot of schools, it was difficult," he says. Everywhere he went, he encountered restrictions and rejections. Finally, he found a school for information technology and artificial intelligence that was willing to accommodate him.
The school offers online classes, is accessible, and also allows some in-person classes. Tomi passed the entrance interviews and is now a first-year student. However, as it is a private school, the tuition fees amount to 5,000 euros per year—a sum that his parents cannot afford.
That's why the Medzi nami association helped him and started a fundraising campaign on the Donio platform. Tomi is grateful for every euro donated.
"If I were healthy, I would look for a part-time job so that I could contribute to my studies myself," he says.
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