"After my spinal fracture, I lay in bed for four months."
After the tragedy that happened to Maria Kovalchuk in Dubai, her life was truly divided into 'before' and 'after'. The story of the 20-year-old model made headlines worldwide in the spring of 2025: a sudden disappearance, an elite party, children of influential businessmen, and then — a girl found on the side of the road with multiple fractures and a severe traumatic brain injury.
At that time, it seemed that the chances for a full life were almost nonexistent. However, today Maria has not only survived, she is learning to live again, making plans, and openly sharing her recovery journey. Throughout 2025, Kovalchuk underwent several complex surgeries, spent a long time in a coma, and went through painful rehabilitation. According to her mother, Anna Kovalchuk, doctors literally had to piece their daughter back together. In the early days after the surgeries, Maria felt complete emptiness and did not understand how to accept her new body, scars, and limitations. But gradually, pain gave way to inner work, and this stage is what the girl considers the most important today.
Now Maria actively manages her social media and honestly shares how her recovery is progressing. She regularly answers questions from her followers and does not hide the fact that the tragedy has significantly changed her worldview. Recently, Kovalchuk published a video on her blog in which she talked about her current life and the plans she is making for the future. The girl admitted that she has recently become particularly interested in makeup. In the video, Maria applies makeup in front of the camera while simultaneously discussing her everyday life, not hiding either the difficulties or the small victories.
"I am actively recovering and doing physical therapy twice a week. I can already walk. Besides physical therapy, I go to the gym twice a week. After my spinal fracture, I lay in bed for four months, and naturally, I gained 10 kilograms. Now I am limiting my diet and have lost three kilograms. At the moment, I have some issues with my leg, so workouts at the gym are not easy for me; I mainly do cardio. My spine has fully healed, and I have one more surgery to remove the metal from my leg," Maria said.
As soon as she had the opportunity to move independently, Kovalchuk decided not to focus solely on treatment. She began attending Norwegian language courses and has been actively studying it for about two months. Simultaneously, Maria continues to learn English — classes are held several times a week. She tries to dedicate her free weekends to socializing with friends, with whom, to her own surprise, she managed to meet in a small Norwegian town where she is currently undergoing rehabilitation.
