DR ‹ › A Moroccan family living in Antwerp is awaiting the results of new medical assessments concerning their daughter, Marwa Benahmed, an 18-year-old who has been in a coma for nearly a month at Antwerp University Hospital after suffering a severe cerebral hemorrhage at her school. An external neurologist issued an opinion on Thursday morning stating that Marwa's condition was hopeless, indicating she would not regain consciousness and that there was no chance of even minimal awareness or the possibility of a dignified quality of life. This diagnosis aligned with the conclusions of the hospital's medical team. Following this, a moment was arranged for the family to say their goodbyes. However, the visit took an unexpected turn when the parents, according to their lawyer, John Thoen, noticed that Marwa opened and closed her eyes in response to her mother's request, and then moved her tongue slightly after a second prompt. These reactions appeared different from the reflexive movements observed previously. In light of this development, Antwerp University Hospital decided to temporarily suspend the decision to withdraw life support while her condition is reassessed. As the supervising neurology team was not present when the movements occurred, no immediate conclusions were drawn, but the possibility of ending treatment has been ruled out for now. In the coming days, hospital doctors are expected to conduct additional tests and monitoring to verify the family's observations. The case will also be reviewed again by the external neurologist who provided the second opinion. These events follow an intensive course of treatment that included deep sedation and four surgeries aimed at reducing intracranial pressure.
