A 27-year-old American nurse, Sarah Danh, fell critically ill with acute liver failure while on her honeymoon in Japan. She needed a medevac flight to return to the United States. Her family has reported that she is showing signs of improvement while still in a coma in San Antonio, Texas.

Sarah’s uncle, Khang Le, shared positive updates on Facebook, mentioning that she has started breathing weakly on her own and has shown some responsiveness by nodding faintly when her mother spoke to her.

Sarah, a labour and delivery nurse at Methodist Stone Oak Hospital, got married to Luke Gradl in March before their trip to Japan in April. The couple had a dream wedding in Houston before heading to Tokyo. However, upon arrival in Japan, Sarah began feeling unwell and eventually displayed symptoms like jaundice, vomiting, fever, body aches, and hepatic encephalopathy.

The unexpected illness shocked Luke, who expressed that there were no health concerns during their wedding. Sarah’s family initiated a GoFundMe campaign to support her hospice care in Japan, surpassing the $50,000 goal by raising over $187,000. The overwhelming response uplifted the family during this challenging time.

Upon her return to the U.S., medical tests revealed that Sarah had suffered a stroke and bilateral brain damage. Despite the initial diagnosis, a subsequent MRI suggested that some of the brain damage might be reversible, bringing renewed hope to Sarah’s loved ones.

Khang mentioned that the positive developments have provided strength to Sarah’s parents, Luke, and her well-wishers, as she continues to show gradual progress, indicating a possible emergence from the coma.