5-year-old girl wakes up from coma in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi - Within days, the girl regained consciousness and began to communicate with her parents

A five-year-old girl was critically injured in a hit and run accident while playing in front of her home in the Capital.

Meznah was discovered by her father as she lay helplessly on the ground. She was unresponsive and breathless. The father immediately began CPR before rushing her to the nearest hospital.

Although Meznah's pulse was restored at the hospital, she was declared in a state of coma and was not breathing. Doctors thus incubated and ventilated the girl.

A trauma CT scan revealed severe swelling in her brain with a lack of blood flow. The child also suffered a number of seizures and was transferred to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Tawam Hospital.

Within days, the girl regained consciousness and began to communicate with her parents, before flying abroad to receive intensive physiotherapy and rehabilitation.

"I would like to express my gratitude to the medical team for all the services and care they provided to save my beloved daughter's life," said Meznah's father.

Dr Khaled Atwa, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit Consultant in Tawam Hospital said brain injuries are amongst the leading cause of deaths globally.

"Immediate intervention for treating brain injuries with high efficiency is a race against time. Research shows that the 'golden hour' at the beginning of the treatment during the first critical hours does not only increase the chance of survival, but also helps prevent permanent disabilities," she noted.

• Abu Dhabi