‘They say I’m fortunate not to recall anything’

She wanted to play the piano. Six months after the deadly train crash at Tempe, she had just returned home. However, her fingers refused to bend to touch the keys. Even now, despite improvements in her mobility, the lingering effects of the injuries and the prolonged stay in intensive care persist. For Myrsini Prassa, music is a way to express herself, and during the time she was sedated, it served as the main stimulus connecting her to the outside world.

Following the collision, she spent 45 days intubated in the ICU of Larissa General Hospital. Inside a sterilized bag by her side, her family had placed a cellphone containing all her favorite songs, ranging from Metallica to Bryan Adams. They had asked the nurses to play the playlist nonstop throughout the day.

"If the accident hadn't occurred, I would have pursued my music theory degree. I'll attempt it again later,...