Texas nurse Sarah Danh’s family has shared a new photo of herself sitting up in a hospital bed and smiling – as they described her recovery from a life-threatening illness as “nothing short of a miracle.”
“She has progressed faster than anyone anticipated,” Danh’s uncle Khang Le wrote on Facebook Monday – three weeks after she was airlifted back to the US on a medevac flight from Japan.
Danh, 27, was hospitalized with acute liver failure last month after falling ill just two days into her honeymoon – and her family was warned she may never wake up from her coma.
But, it appears that the newlywed is on the road to recovery.
“Sarah’s recovery continues to feel nothing short of a miracle. She has progressed faster than anyone anticipated, and we are incredibly grateful for the outstanding care she has received —especially from the medical team at Methodist Hospital and the liver specialists at Methodist Transplant Hospital,” Khang wrote.
“Her liver remains stable, with some expected fluctuations, and her care team will continue to monitor her closely.
“One of the most meaningful milestones has been her ability to remember, recognize, and communicate with family and friends. Physically, she is gaining strength each day and making steady, encouraging progress.”
Khang revealed his niece will be moved to Houston’s TIRR Memorial Hermann hospital ahead of the next stage of her recovery.
“We are deeply thankful for how far she has come and remain hopeful and optimistic about what lies ahead,” he said.
On May 1, Khang said his niece had been taken off life support and was able to take a “few, small steps” with assistance. But, he said her emotions and her memory come and go.
Danh was flown back to San Antonio on a 20-hour flight, and her family learned that she had suffered a stroke resulting in “severe bilateral brain damage.”
“At that time, they warned that she might not wake up or regain normal function,” her family said.
Danh fell ill just weeks after she tied the knot with Luke Gradl, her partner of seven years, in Houston’s Spring Branch neighborhood March 21 in what he described as their “dream wedding” — before jetting out to Tokyo on April 8.
“When we arrived at the hotel the afternoon of April 8, she was not feeling well. So, we decided to rest that day because we had 16 total days in Japan, so we could afford to rest half a day,” aspiring pilot Gradl, 28, told People.
“April 9 things started to go bad very quickly, so I immediately took her to the hospital just before midnight where we were admitted to the emergency room, and the next day moved to the ICU because of life-threatening health decline.”
She fell ill despite no signs being present at their wedding, according to Gradl.
