These are tough times we’re living, so we must hang on to every silver lining there is in the world. And there can’t be a better story today than that of former Ajax midfielder Abdelhak Nouri who has come to his senses after 3 years in a coma.
Abderrahim Nouri provided an encouraging update on the condition of his brother on a broadcast of De Wereld Draait Door on Thursday.
“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,” Abderrahim said.
“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.” Better known as ‘Appie’, Nouri was a promising talent coming through Ajax’s youth system before he collapsed during a friendly match against Werder Bremen in 2017 having suffered permanent brain damage, which subsequently led to his retirement from football.
While he isn’t in a coma no longer, Nouri remains in a fragile state and will need to fight even harder in order to recover.