A hopeful journey of a young Sri Lankan man, who was walking nearly 160 kilometers for love, ended with an emergency hospitalization, a story reported from Italy. On October 18, 2026, around 2:40 AM, this young man, who had collapsed on a road in Concesio, a town in the Brescia province of Italy, was rescued as a result of an emergency call made by a passerby.
Italian media reports indicate that he was already suffering from severe dehydration and malnutrition, was close to a coma, and was so weak that his skin was pale, his lips were dry, and he couldn't even stand. Following the emergency call, volunteers from the 118 ambulance service and the Carabinieri police team from Gardone Val Trompia arrived at the scene. After providing initial treatment with saline and medication, he was admitted to the emergency unit of Brescia Hospital.
This young man, who has legal residency permission (permesso di soggiorno) in Italy and no criminal record, had come to the country seeking employment. According to some reports, he recently arrived in Italy from Sri Lanka via Milan Airport. Lacking money due to unemployment, he began this arduous journey from Milan with the aim of seeing his girlfriend, who resides in Verona. Although he initially attempted to hitchhike, when that failed, he started walking.
The distance between Milan and Verona is approximately between 156 and 164 kilometers. It is reported that he had traveled along Italy's Paullese regional road and lost his way in the Bresciano area. There are some discrepancies among local reports regarding the duration of his journey; some reports indicate that he started his journey on the morning of October 16 and traveled for over 24 hours without food or water. According to another report, he fell ill on the very first day of his journey. However, it has been confirmed that he did not consume any food or water at any point during this time.
Major Italian media outlets such as Corriere della Sera, Giornale di Brescia, and ANSA have widely reported this as a "journey for love." To protect their privacy, neither his nor his girlfriend's name and age have been disclosed. However, the Sri Lankan community residing in Italy has since revealed that the girlfriend is also a young Sri Lankan woman. Sri Lankans living in Italy, quoting Italian media, state that the young man is currently hospitalized in serious condition.
This incident has generated various reactions on social media. Although some have responded critically to the news published on Corriere della Sera's X account, a large number of people in Italy have come forward to help this young man who attempted to walk such a long distance for love despite having no money. According to Italian sources, a group of people in the country are already prepared to provide him with a free annual pass for trains and buses for the upcoming year.
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