A woman from the United Arab Emirates who spent 27 years in a coma after a car accident has regained consciousness, following treatment in Germany. Munira Abdulla, now 59, was seriously injured in 1991 when the car she was travelling in collided with a bus on the way to pick up her son from school.
Her son, Omar Webair, who was four at the time, was unharmed as his mother shielded him in her arms moments before the crash. He has spoken about his mother's remarkable recovery, saying he never gave up hope. 'The reason I shared her story is to tell people not to lose hope on their loved ones,' he told The National newspaper.
Ms Abdulla was initially treated in London, where she was declared to be in a vegetative state, before being returned to the UAE. In 2017, a grant from the Crown Prince Court in Abu Dhabi allowed her to be transferred to Germany, where she underwent surgery to correct severely shortened muscles and received medication to improve her wakefulness.
Her son believes an argument in her hospital room in 2018 prompted her to stir. Three days later, she called his name. She is now responsive, can feel pain, and has some conversations. She has returned to Abu Dhabi for physiotherapy and rehabilitation.
Cases of recovery after such a long period are rare. The UK's National Health Service notes that people who regain consciousness often have severe disabilities, but Ms Abdulla's progress has been described as miraculous by her family.
