VEKIĆ VISITS SLAĐANA SIMIDŽIJA, FIRST DIALYSIS PATIENT IN SRPSKA TO BECOME A MOTHER

BANJA LUKA, JUNE 19 /SRNA/ – Maja Vekić, director of the Republika Srpska Center for Gender Equality, visited Slađana Simidžija, the first woman in Republika Srpska to give birth while undergoing dialysis treatment.

Slađana and her daughter Marija remain at the University Clinical Center of Republika Srpska. The visit was organized as a gesture of support for a woman whose life story reflects exceptional strength, perseverance and courage, while also highlighting the importance of supporting women facing serious health and life challenges. Vekić emphasized that the Center for Gender Equality works to support women in exercising their rights and seeks to draw public attention to both the challenges and achievements of women whose determination and resilience push the boundaries of what is possible. "When she was confronted with the threat of blindness, a serious illness and life on dialysis, few could have imagined that one day she would hold her own child in her arms. What may be a medical fact for many is, for Slađana, proof that hope knows no limits," Vekić said. Slađana has lived with diabetes since the age of nine. Throughout her life, she has faced numerous health challenges, including efforts to preserve her eyesight, severe kidney damage, and dialysis treatment. Nevertheless, she refused to give up on her greatest dream - becoming a mother. Today, she is the proud mother of baby Marija and the first woman in Republika Srpska to give birth while on dialysis. Pregnancies among women undergoing hemodialysis remain extremely rare and high-risk. Only about one percent of women of reproductive age receiving dialysis become pregnant, and roughly half of those pregnancies result in the birth of a living child. For that reason, the fact that both mother and baby are doing well makes this case especially significant, according to a statement from the Republika Srpska Center for Gender Equality. "Slađana's life story is not only about illness and treatment. It is a story of a woman who did not give up when circumstances were at their hardest, of courage overcoming fear, of love triumphing over all predictions and of the strength to persevere when many would think it impossible," Vekić stressed. She emphasized that stories like this serve as a reminder of how important it is for women, regardless of their circumstances, to know that they have the support of institutions and society. "Slađana's story is not only a personal victory. It is an encouragement to other women facing serious life and health challenges not to give up on their dreams and plans. Behind every statistic stands a real person, their struggle, their hope and their right to fulfill their dreams," Vekić said. The visit was carried out as part of the Center's activities aimed at promoting gender equality, supporting women and increasing the visibility of positive examples that contribute to women's empowerment in society.