A Filipina living in Dubai has woken up after nine months of being in a coma. Perlite Almonte, 35, was admitted to the Rashid Hospital in April 2015, when she was found unconscious in the bathroom of her house.
Upon examination, the doctors found that she had slipped into a coma. She is now undergoing treatment and physiotherapy, and is on her way to a full recovery.
Image Credit: Rashid Hospital
Life-Threatening Stroke
According to Dr. Zeyad Al Rais, Head of Critical Care Department at Rashid Hospital, Almonte slipped into a coma because of “intracerebral hemorrhage.” This is a life-threatening kind of stroke that is caused by bleeding inside the brain tissue. “The patient suffered from the intracerebral hemorrhage due to aneurysmal bleeding,” he explained.
Surgery, Treatment, & Physiotherapy
Dr. Al Rais recalled that Almonte underwent surgery to drain the blood. For over two weeks, she was also kept on a ventilator, as the location of the bleeding affected her hemodynamic and respiratory functions. The doctors then performed a tracheostomy to eventually “wean” her off the ventilator. Likewise, they started physiotherapy even when she was still “asleep,” as this could help improve her muscular power.
Image Credit: Rashid Hospital
On the Path to Recovery
After nine months of being in a coma, Almonte is now fully conscious. Dr. Al Rais reported that her neurological state is stable and she has regained some of her motor skills. With people’s help, she is also able to walk again. “We are now working on an intensive rehabilitation plan,” he said. “Our aim is to make her independent as much as possible so that she can lead a regular life.”
“Can’t Wait to go to the Philippines”
Now that she is awake, Almonte is able to express her gratefulness to everyone who has helped and treated her. “I now consider the doctors and nurses at the hospital my family. I am truly thankful for the treatment I have received at Rashid Hospital,” she said. “I am glad that I am recovering and I can’t wait to go to the Philippines to see my children.” Almonte is a mother of two and she used to work as a supervisor for a courier company.
Almonte’s successful recovery is a testament to the skill and dedication of the doctors and specialists around her. She was fortunate to be treated at Rashid Hospital, which Dr. Al Rais said has “one of the most equipped and specialized critical care departments in the UAE.” As a result, the hospital has a high success rate when it comes to treating critical cases such as Almonte’s.