The fight for life is the hardest and most uncertain. Milena Ajković from Podgorica knows this best, a single mother of two boys who has spent the past two and a half years undergoing surgeries and chemotherapy, but is eager to live. Her desire was especially strengthened by her sons, who were her guiding stars in her fight against cancer. Today, with a few organs less, but with much more faith and hope, motivational messages and participation in fashion shows for oncology patients - she sends a message to everyone who has the same problems, not to give up and that victory is possible.
Until October 2023, Podgorica resident Milena Ajković was winning her life's battle to create the best possible living conditions for her two boys as a single mother. And then, out of nowhere, an uninvited guest entered her ring and disrupted everything.
"Overnight, so from a walk in Gorica with my friends, I had a stomach ache, and I ignored it for about three, four, five days. I was my own doctor. I stayed in the hospital that night urgently, as an emergency patient, an emergency operation. So I had surgery for cervical cancer back in October. That's when I was diagnosed with colon cancer, but I had to start chemotherapy as soon as possible," Milena Ajković, an oncology patient and mother of two boys, told Television Vijesti.
That's when the life of this Podgorica woman changed completely.
"In about 15 days in the hospital, I lost 11 kilograms and without hair, without eyelashes, without eyebrows, I didn't look like myself," said Ajković.
After only half a year, in April 2024, another colon surgery followed in Belgrade. And then the battle with chemotherapy, which Milena received 24 times.
"If a person finds out they have cancer, they just need to have the will, courage, desire, to focus, to have support. Support is important, support from family, friends, neighbors, everyone, support from their spouse, and if it's an ex, then support from him for the sake of the children. Unfortunately, I didn't have that support, I had it from my family. It even happened once, twice, three times that they went with me while I was receiving therapy. And of course they drew in front of it, because children are forbidden to enter there," said Ajković.
And children, Milena says, were her goal during her fight with cancer.
"And a person who has cancer is a warrior, a great warrior, who does not carry weapons, carries faith. Faith to defeat this disease. And I found it, so I say, in my children, they were number one for me, so of course I live, to defeat the disease as much as I can. We'll see what God will give, how it will be, because nothing is ever final," said Ajković.
The battle for life brought Milena a new friendship.
"Milena contacted me via Instagram and came to my clinic to get the wig I had prepared for her. I will never forget that moment when Milena came to my clinic with her boy. She put it on and I saw it and I said, Milena, we are going through this fight together," Maja Gardašević from the non-governmental organization (NGO) Diši told Television Vijesti.
This togetherness gave Milena the chance to celebrate her life's victory on the catwalks, encouraging oncology patients to fight.
"I can say that Milena is a strong, powerful woman, a woman who has breathed new life into herself. Milena was at our first Montenegro Fashion Week, Milena appeared, then we organized, thanks to Srđan Lubarda, the second Montenegro Fashion Week, where oncology patients walked. I am preparing some new runways for Milena, like Milan, maybe New York," said Gardašević.
And while she waits to walk with them, Milena says that people's health should really come first.
"Health should be valued, people should go for preventive checkups, young people should give up that one night out and the money they would spend to pay for the checkup, get checked, get the paper saying you are healthy," said Ajković.
Bonus video:
