In a heartening update, the family of Texas nurse Sarah Danh has released a new photograph showing her sitting up in a hospital bed, beaming with a smile, as they celebrate her remarkable recovery from a critical illness. They describe her journey back to health as “nothing short of a miracle.”
“Her progress has surpassed all expectations,” shared Danh’s uncle, Khang Le, on Facebook. This comes just three weeks after Danh was transported back to the United States from Japan via a medevac flight.
The 27-year-old nurse had been struck by acute liver failure shortly into her honeymoon, leading to hospitalization. Initially, her prognosis seemed dire, with doctors cautioning her family that she might never regain consciousness from her coma.
Remarkably, Danh is now on a hopeful path to recovery.
“Sarah’s progress has been nothing short of miraculous. She is recovering more swiftly than anyone had predicted, and we owe immense gratitude to the exceptional care she has received—particularly from the dedicated staff at Methodist Hospital and the liver specialists at Methodist Transplant Hospital,” Khang expressed.
“Although her liver is stable, we are prepared for the usual fluctuations, and her medical team will continue to keep a vigilant watch over her condition.”
“One of the most meaningful milestones has been her ability to remember, recognize, and communicate with family and friends. Physically, she is gaining strength each day and making steady, encouraging progress.”
Khang revealed his niece will be moved to Houston’s TIRR Memorial Hermann hospital ahead of the next stage of her recovery.
“We are deeply thankful for how far she has come and remain hopeful and optimistic about what lies ahead,” he said.
On May 1, Khang said his niece had been taken off life support and was able to take a “few, small steps” with assistance. But, he said her emotions and her memory come and go.
Danh was flown back to San Antonio on a 20-hour flight, and her family learned that she had suffered a stroke resulting in “severe bilateral brain damage.”
“At that time, they warned that she might not wake up or regain normal function,” her family said.
Danh fell ill just weeks after she tied the knot with Luke Gradl, her partner of seven years, in Houston’s Spring Branch neighborhood March 21 in what he described as their “dream wedding” — before jetting out to Tokyo on April 8.
“When we arrived at the hotel the afternoon of April 8, she was not feeling well. So, we decided to rest that day because we had 16 total days in Japan, so we could afford to rest half a day,” aspiring pilot Gradl, 28, told People.
“April 9 things started to go bad very quickly, so I immediately took her to the hospital just before midnight where we were admitted to the emergency room, and the next day moved to the ICU because of life-threatening health decline.”
She fell ill despite no signs being present at their wedding, according to Gradl.
