Jovan Koloski, a kid from Struga who was in an induced coma for four years, is graduating high school to the delight of his family and the entire city.

Jovan contracted a rare form of NMDAR encephalitis in 2008. Fevers turned into powerful seizures, for which he even had to be restrained. Next year he fell into a coma. Most doctors gave up on him, but his parents Mira and Dimitrija, with the help of doctor Aspasia Sofianova, sought treatment in Slovenia, where doctors were able to stabilize his condition. “We had to threaten a doctor to sign the necessary papers to allow his treatment abroad”, the family remembers.

In Slovenia, doctors decided that an induced coma will be necessary to stabilize his condition, until a proper treatment is developed.

Four years later, the condition was improved to the point that Jovan could be woken from his coma. He didn’t remembering anything at first. It took visits to his old school and meetings with his old friends to refresh Jovan’s memory.

Now he is preparing for the prom. “I have date, a girl from my class”, Jovan says.

His treatment continues, with trips to Slovenia each three months, but otherwise Jovan Koloski is now a normal kid from Struga, who likes exercising and hanging out with his friends.