In September 2016, one-year-old baby Marwa contracted a virus that attacked her nerves and threatened to cause “severe neurological disorders.”
Doctors readily admitted Marwa for treatment, but suggested that she be put into a medically induced coma, that would allow the girl’s brain to rest and heal. The rest of her body’s functions – like breathing and blood pressure – would be supported and maintained with medication.
After two months, however, Marwa’s body wasn’t responding as well as her doctors hoped it would.
The more time that passed with Marwa’s brain in a coma, the more that doctors feared she would suffer long-term consequences: permanent brain damage or loss of her ability to walk and move once she woke up.
Because of these concerns, doctors considered taking Marwa off life support completely.
Her family, however, wasn’t ready to give up quite yet. They wanted to give their daughter another two months to improve and wake up and turned to the court for support.
The story gained traction outside the hospital as well, resulting in a “Not Without Marwa” campaign and petition, which gathered the support of another 114k people who’d heard of the little girl’s fight to survive.
Doctors agreed to rescind their decision to take Marwa off life support. Precisely ten days afterward — Marwa opened her eyes and woke up.
Everyone – particularly the doctors – were stunned, but her parents couldn’t be more relieved to see their baby girl’s eyes once more.
Since Marwa woke up, doctors have confirmed that her body has recovered well and she maintains all of her usual functions.
“Her treatment continues, but we see progress every day and that gives us a lot of hope. When I speak to her, she hears my voice, she reacts, sometimes even smiles,” Marwa’s mother said.
We wish Marwa a quick and full recovery. If you want to see the moment she woke up, you can watch the video here:
