When Illness Tests Love: The Painful Divorce of Saimir Vishaj After 35 Years of Marriage

 For decades, Saimir Vishaj was known in Albania not only for his legal battles inside courtrooms, but for his commanding public presence, his years of leadership in criminal law circles, and his role as a respected voice in the Albanian justice system.

Vishaj and his ex wife

But behind the professional image was a man fighting a very personal war.

In recent years, Vishaj openly spoke about his struggle with a severe illness—one that reportedly brought him close to death and forced him to seek specialized treatment abroad, including in Milan. According to previous media interviews, he underwent complex medical procedures after being diagnosed with a serious intestinal tumor, a battle he described as the hardest of his life.

For many, surviving such an ordeal would mark the end of suffering.

For Vishaj, it appears it was only the beginning.

This week, the veteran lawyer revealed through an emotional social media post that he is now officially divorced by the Tirana Court after 35 years of living with his wife.

But it was not the divorce itself that captured public attention.

It was the pain in his words.

In his statement, Vishaj described a feeling of profound loneliness, saying that when illness entered his life, the woman he had spent 35 years beside allegedly walked away during what he described as the most difficult moment of his existence.

 Saimir Vishaj's post on FAcebook (screenshot)

According to multiple Albanian media reports quoting his public post, Vishaj wrote that “when sickness comes, your ex-wife runs away, leaving you alone after 35 years together.” His words quickly spread across Albanian media and social platforms, resonating with thousands who saw in his story something universal: the fear of being abandoned when life becomes hardest.

Vishaj also reflected on his family life, speaking with pride about being the father of two sons, yet confessing that despite professional success and surviving a life-threatening disease, nothing prepared him for the emotional weight of loneliness.

For many observers, this story is not simply about divorce.

It is about what happens when love is tested by illness.

Relationships often shine in moments of comfort, but their true strength is revealed in moments of vulnerability—hospital rooms, sleepless nights, medical uncertainty, and the terrifying possibility of loss.

Whether every detail of this painful separation remains private between the former couple, one thing is clear from Vishaj’s own words: he feels abandoned during what he considers the decisive chapter of his life.

And perhaps that is what makes his story so powerful.

Because surviving illness may save the body.

But surviving abandonment requires healing a different kind of wound.