A critically ill American nurse who suffered acute liver failure during her honeymoon in Japan and required a medevac flight to return home is displaying signs of recovery, according to her loved ones.
Sarah Danh, 27, was transported to San Antonio, Texas, after being hospitalised in Japan and remains in a coma. In an update yesterday, her uncle shared some "encouraging news" and wrote on Facebook, "Over the past few days, Sarah has shown signs of improvement."
Khang Le revealed that Danh remains on a ventilator but has "begun taking a few weak breaths on her own." Additionally, she is also showing light responsiveness, and nodded faintly when her mother asked if she could hear her.
In March, Danh, a labour and delivery nurse at Methodist Stone Oak Hospital, wed Luke Gradl, her partner of seven years. The ceremony was held in Houston's Spring Branch in what Gradl described as their "dream wedding", before the newlyweds departed for Tokyo in April.
"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," Gradl told PEOPLE.
Danh was "suffering" from a number of symptoms, including jaundice, vomiting, fever, body aches, and hepatic encephalopathy. The sudden turn of events left Gradl devastated. He said, "There were no health signs at our wedding." Danh had qualified as a nurse shortly before tying the knot, just last year.
Danh's family launched a GoFundMe while she was hospitalised in Japan to cover the cost of her hospice care. The $50,000 target was rapidly exceeded, with the family ultimately raising more than $187,000. The extraordinary response to the fundraiser prompted creator Danniella Ongmanchi to write in the comments, "We honestly didn't expect this level of support, and it has lifted us up in ways we didn't even know we needed."
Upon returning home, Danh's MRI revealed she had suffered a stroke and bilateral brain damage. However, following a second MRI scan, doctors indicated that some of the brain damage could potentially be reversible. "This news gave Sarah's parents, Luke, and everyone who loves her renewed strength and hope," Khang said. He further stated, "Since then, Sarah has continued to show gradual improvement, with signs that she may be slowly emerging from the coma."
