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Sat, Nov 08, 2025 | Jumada al-Awwal 17, 1447 | Fajr 05:11 | DXB 
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UAE: 6-year-old regains ability to walk, eat, speak after brain injury from road accident
Saed has since travelled abroad to continue his cognitive rehabilitation, with his physical recovery deemed complete
A six-year-old boy, Saed, was saved from the brink of death after suffering a traumatic brain injury following a road accident in Abu Dhabi.
The young patient arrived at the Capital's Salma Rehabilitation Hospital in a fully dependent state — unable to sit, communicate, or feed himself.
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What happened next was termed as a "remarkable recovery" by doctors, who witnessed the young resident walk on his own within two weeks of surviving the crash.
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He has since travelled abroad to continue his cognitive rehabilitation, with his physical recovery deemed complete.
Medical plan
Initially, despite the challenges that came with the critical head injury, Saed began a comprehensive, multidisciplinary rehabilitation journey involving physicians, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, and nursing staff.
A plan was created with one objective — to restore his independence and enhance his quality of life.
Initially unable to control his head or trunk and fully dependent for all daily activities, Saed was introduced to specialised seating and positioning protocols to facilitate physical activation. Within two weeks, he progressed from immobility to walking with minimal supervision, an early milestone.
Admiring his strength, physiotherapist Leonie Cristina Norris said: “Although Saed’s sessions were full of play, the effort he put in was incredible. Seeing him walk out of Salma holding his parents' hands is something I will never forget.”
His plan then moved towards occupational therapy, which addressed Saed’s cognitive and fine motor challenges. Through structured, task-oriented interventions, he relearned daily living skills including brushing his teeth and using eating utensils.
“In just three weeks, Saed regained his functional abilities, including dressing with minimal support and identifying colours and shapes. He could answer questions in Arabic and showed excellent cognitive improvement,” said Dheeba Veeraragavan, his occupational therapist.
Speech and language therapy was equally transformative. Saed arrived dependent on tube feeding and non-verbal. He later progressed to speaking in full sentences and eating independently. “Play-based, child-led therapy helped him rebuild language and feeding skills. Watching him evolve from frustration to full communication has been deeply rewarding,” said Leeandri Govender, speech and language therapist.
Upon discharge, Saed regained full mobility, cognitive function, and speech. He was able to run, climb stairs, communicate clearly, eat independently, and play with others.
Apart from the care and expertise of the medical team, Saed’s family played a pivotal role in his rehabilitation, providing continuous emotional support and working closely with clinical teams.
Laraib Anwer
Laraib Anwer is a Digital Journalist who loves the thrill of breaking headlines almost as much as she does unapologetically using GenZ slang. She dreams of a world free of animal cruelty and hopes to tell community stories that make a difference.
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