kerim Waller: How his sweetheart helped him through an emergency operation
the Austrian actor, known for roles in “The Pass” and “Rosamunde Pilcher,” faced a life-threatening medical emergency while on vacation, crediting his partner’s fast thinking with saving his life.
- Kerim Waller,31,recently starred in “Rosamunde Pilcher: Objection for Love.”
- He underwent emergency surgery for a burst appendix while vacationing in Italy.
- Waller credits his partner, Francesca, with recognizing the severity of his condition and seeking immediate medical attention.
- The actor is now recovering and looking forward to future projects.
Vienna – Kerim Waller is breathing a sigh of relief,and deeply grateful for his partner,Francesca. The 31-year-old actor, currently starring in the ZDF hit series “Rosamunde Pilcher: Objection for Love,” recently battled a life-threatening medical crisis, and it was his sweetheart who ultimately ensured he received the care he desperately needed. What caused this sudden health scare for the rising star?
Waller recounts a harrowing experience that began with what he initially believed was a stomach virus. “There were days it was so bad that I had to go to the emergency room in the hospital. I even fainted briefly there, probably because of the blood pressure… The doctors then did various tests, such as an ultrasound, an X-ray and a blood test. Then it was saeid: suspected stomach virus. So I was sent home with painkillers. But after two days I felt so bad that I had a fever and a seizure. My partner had to call the ambulance because I could no longer move. I could hardly speak because of the pain. After that everything happened very quickly: the doctors saw how serious my appendix was, and a few hours later I had an operation and the appendix was removed. Looking back, I know: If my partner hadn’t called the emergency doctor and I had spent another night at home, that would have been it…”
Was Waller aware of the gravity of the situation at the time? “No, not really,” he admitted. “My Italian wasn’t good enough to understand everything the doctors told me. But I don’t think they told me how bad the situation was. They didn’t tell me that until a week later when I was released.”
He described feeling relieved when he learned surgery was necessary. “I then knew that there was a diagnosis and that I would be helped. The funny thing is that in serious or unpleasant situations I always become very calm and incredibly funny. I was fooling around the whole time. Such as, when I was waiting in the hallway for surgery, I just played Ramones loudly on my phone and got on the nerves of everyone who walked by. It’s probably survival instinctive humor for me.”
Francesca was by Waller’s side throughout the entire ordeal, accompanying him to the hospital, staying with him until the operation, and acting as his translator. “It was worse for her than for me,” Waller said. “She had to see me lying in bed in a seizure and call an ambulance because she couldn’t do anything herself. It was a feeling of total powerlessness.Of course she was afraid of what would happen to me and whether everything would go well.”
“Francesca is the basis of my life,” Waller shared. “She is not only my partner, but also my best friend and my everything. My life revolves mostly around her.” The couple met during the COVID-19 lockdown in Vienna and now primarily communicate in English, though Waller is currently learning Italian.
While Waller and Francesca haven’t discussed a formal wedding, he doesn’t see it as essential. “It’s a tradition that isn’t really critically important to either of us,” he said. “Neither of us is religious, so there is no need for a church wedding. And it doesn’t really matter to us whether it’s state-recognized. This simply has no impact on our relationship.”
