Milania Giudice stayed by her best friend Victoria Zardoya’s side in the days before her death.
“I just know Milania has been through a lot,” Real Housewives of New Jersey star Jennifer Aydin told The Daily Mail in an interview published on Friday, November 6. “She lost her best friend. Her best friend was an organ donor. When you are an organ donor, you have to wait for them to come and retrieve your organs.”
She continued, “So you will be in the bed for sometimes days, maybe even over a week. And Milania did not leave her best friend’s side … She was in the hospital with her until they retrieved her organs. She did not leave her side, and Teresa flew to Tampa to support Milania and Victoria’s family. And that’s a lot for anybody to handle, let alone, you know, a young adult. So, she’s had a lot thrown her way.”
Aydin, 49 — a close friend of RHONJ costar and Milania’s mom, Teresa Giudice — said that Milania, 20, was at the hospital with Zardoya for “at least five days or more.”
Zardoya, Milania’s childhood best friend, died at age 20 in July after suffering an accidental fall while exploring the ruins of Fort Dade from the Spanish-American War during a trip to Egmont Key, an island off the coast of Tampa Bay, Florida.
According to the autopsy report obtained by Us on Tuesday, November 3, Zardoya’s cause of death was listed as “craniocerebral trauma,” including skull fractures. The manner of death is listed as “accident (fall from height and injured self).”
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, craniocerebral trauma, or traumatic brain injury (TBI), is damage to the brain caused by an external force, commonly categorized into penetrating and non-penetrating injuries. It results from events like falls, crashes or blows to the head.
Toxicology test results determined that Zardoya was positive for ketamine and norketamine, a substance produced when the body breaks down the drug. The results also showed alcohol and etomidate, a medication used for sedation.
A postmortem examination from the Sarasota, Florida, medical examiner’s office confirmed Zardoya was an organ donor and donated both of her lungs, heart, liver, both kidneys and more following her death.
Milania has been open about her struggles with grief following Victoria’s death.
“If this summer taught me anything, it is to never judge anybody no matter what you see, what you hear. Never judge anybody. It also taught me that life is all about sacrifice,” she said in an Instagram video last month after she made headlines for a tense exchange with her mom at the Tampa International Airport.
Milania continued, “Empathy is a trait that I’ve personally have always had. When I love, I want to move mountains for you. When you’re upset, I’m upset. When you’re angry, I’m angry. I’m a ride-or-die friend. I’m ride or die for my family.”
Milania entered a treatment center last month after she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, PTSD and ADHD.
“I am not ashamed of any of my mental health disorders because I’m currently in a treatment center,” she said in a video from the center. “My mom’s actually on her way to come visit me today, and I do work on myself. But you know what? I am only 20 years old, and this summer hit me like a bus.”
Teresa, 54, has also shown her support for Milania in the wake of Zardoya’s death.
“As a mother, there is nothing more important to me than the health, safety, and well-being of my children,” she said in a statement in September. “The past few months have been incredibly difficult for our family, and I feel it is important to say something while also protecting my daughter during an extremely vulnerable time in her life.”
Teresa added, “Grief affects everyone differently, and watching your child try to process that kind of loss is something no parent can ever truly prepare for. Right now, my only focus is my daughter — making sure she is surrounded by love, family, support, and the care she needs.”
