We could all do with a bit more good news at the moment, and heartwarming reports emerging today claim Ajax ace Abdelhak Nouri has woken up after being in a coma for nearly three years.
The 22-year-old suffered a cardiac arrhythmia attack back in 2017 which left him with severe and permanent brain damage, ending his football career.
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However, Dutch outlet AD reports that he is now awake again and ever so slightly responsive, with the report stating that he: ‘sleeps, eats, frowns and burps but is very dependent.’
His brother has discussed his condition, saying: “(It’s) good. He has not been home very long, we take care of him there now. I must say that since he is at home it is going much better than before in the hospital.
“He is aware of where he is, he is back in a familiar environment with his family. He’s no longer in a coma. He’s just awake. He sleeps, he sneezes, he eats, he burps, but it’s not like he gets out of bed.
“He’s very bedridden and still very dependent on us. On his good days there is a form of communication, for example, confirmation with his eyebrows or a smile. But you notice that he can’t last that very long.
“We talk to him like he’s not sick. We take him into our conversations and we watch football with him in the living room, for example. Then he watches. You notice that he likes that very much.
“He often shows emotions. Sometimes he is emotional, but often there is also a smile. That does us good. That makes you really appreciate a smile.”