San Antonio nurse Sarah Danh may be ‘slowly emerging’ from coma after falling ill on Japan honeymoon
According to Danh’s uncle Khang Le, his niece has been showing signs of improvement since being medically evacuated from Tokyo back to a San Antonio hospital.
Courtesy of Gofundme
After falling severely ill with acute liver failure just two days into her Japan honeymoon with her new husband Luke Gradl, San Antonio labor and delivery nurse Sarah Danh remains in critical condition — although she may be “slowly emerging” from her coma, one family member said.
According to Danh’s uncle Khang Le, his niece has been showing signs of improvement since being medically evacuated from Tokyo back to a San Antonio hospital. “This Sunday morning felt like the most hopeful day we have had since we first learned Sarah was in the ICU in Japan,” he wrote in a Sunday social media post.
He said Danh has begun taking a few “weak breaths” on her own, and that she’s been showing “small but deeply meaningful signs that she is aware of her family’s presence.” She gently squeezed her mother’s hand while she stood beside her bed, and faintly nodded when asked if she could hear.
The developments come as a “joy and relief” to her family, especially since her acute liver failure appeared to trigger several additional medical complications, including jaundice, vomiting, body aches and “extreme” hepatic encephalopathy amid her initial diagnosis in Japan. As her condition progressed, Gradl stated that her kidneys were failing and that she was struggling with intracranial brain pressure.
Sarah Danh and Luke Gradl were married on March 21 before Danh fell critically ill during their Japan honeymoon.
Luke Gradl via Facebook
According to Le, Danh underwent an MRI to scan her brain after she arrived back in San Antonio. The scan revealed that Danh had a stroke before returning home, “resulting in what appeared to be severe bilateral brain damage,” Le wrote. The news was “devastating” for Danh’s family, as they were warned that she may not “wake up or regain normal function,” Le added.
However, a secondary scan revealed a more hopeful update for the family, as it showed that some of the damage Danh’s brain suffered may be reversible, “although it will take time to fully understand her condition and recovery.”
Meanwhile, Danh’s family and her new husband continue to express gratitude for the “outpouring of love and support from so many people around the world.”
“Luke is encouraged that Sarah’s liver has improved to the point that doctors are now hopeful that a transplant will not be required,” Danh’s family wrote in a statement to the Express-News.
“However, Sarah remains in critical condition as a result of the liver failure’s impact on her body and will continue being treated by specialists. It may take some time for her to regain consciousness but Luke and families patiently await Sarah’s complete recovery.”
