Retired Dutch professional footballer Abdelhak ″Appie″ Nouri who fell into a coma after he lost consciousness during a friendly match against German club, Werder Bremen on July 8, 2017, has finally awoken from the prolonged state of unconsciousness.
Nouri stepped away from the action during the match only to lay on the ground, then collapsed which then resulted in him suffering a cardiac arrest during the friendly match in Austria, which was part of the Eredivisie club’s pre-season training camp. The 21-year-old fortunately regained consciousness on August 5 recognized and communicated with his family, despite suffering a serious brain damage.
According to his family, the 21-year-old football star is doing better neurologically than a few months ago, and he is currently in a nursing home. He was moved regularly over the past year, something that cost the family a lot of energy and grief. But his situation is now stable and he is doing better.
In an interview with Dutch journalist, Joep Schreuder, Nouri’s father, Mohammed and brothers Abderrahim and Mohammed explained the love and suffering they’ve shared while Abdelhak was in intensive care.
The family is very satisfied with his care, father Mohammed said. “Yes, certainly. We have also learned a lot. We can give him certain medicines and food ourselves. We have to be able to do that, in case he comes home.”
While the brother of the promising footballer, Abderrahim, added: “With all due respect to the caretakers and doctors, they can never give the love that we have for him. If we wash him, we wash him very differently than the nurses do. They also do it with love. Many know him. They feel something for him. And the caretakers that don’t know him, say ‘This patient really touches us’. They’ve also wept with us. And they were there in the moments of unrest.”
However, in the aftermath of the incident, it was revealed that the Royal Dutch Football Association, Dutch FA (KNVB) and Ajax had been aware that Nouri had a pre-existing heart condition as far back as 2014, something his family claim they were not told about.