A bride who fell into a coma after suffering acute liver failure during her honeymoon in Japan is showing signs of recovery, her family has said. Sarah Danh, a 27-year-old labour and delivery nurse from San Antonio, Texas, was medically evacuated back to the United States after falling ill on the second day of her trip.
Ms Danh was admitted to a Japanese hospital on April 9 and remained in a coma and on life support until her return to Texas on April 21. In an update shared on Facebook, her uncle, Khang Le, said her condition had been improving daily and that she was no longer on life support or breathing with assistance.
Mr Le wrote that Ms Danh had been able to wiggle her toes and move her arms, though she remained far from being able to eat, drink water, control her fingers, open her mouth or speak. He added that her memory seemed to come and go, and that she had expressed discomfort, sadness and happiness, smiling, crying and giggling in response to his attempts to make her laugh.
“This morning, the doctors tested her strength and helped her stand. With assistance, Sarah was able to take a few small steps,” Mr Le said. He added that she would require physical and cognitive therapy once transferred out of intensive care.
Ms Danh and her husband, Luke Gradl, 28, had been married for a week when they set off on their “dream honeymoon trip” to Japan. A GoFundMe page, which raised more than $187,000 to cover medical expenses before being taken down, reported that she had been rushed to an emergency room after becoming suddenly ill. In a joint statement, Mr Gradl and Ms Danh’s mother, Le Le, thanked supporters, saying their “kindness, prayers, and support helped carry us through one of the hardest times in our lives.”
