Father of girl who awoke from coma says, 'if there is life, there is hope'

Bogotá, Colombia, Aug 5, 2010 / 19:56 pm

In an interview with Colombian radio, Guillermo Yelting recounted the story of his 23-year-old daughter Sara, who awoke from a 15 month long coma in April. Asked whether he ever considered letting her die, he replied that as long as his daughter was alive, he would not turn his back on her.

Yelting explained in the interview that his daughter's health began to deteriorate when she started experiencing neurological problems. She was hospitalized on February 8, 2009 and eventually lost consciousness and contact with reality.

However, when it seemed her health would never improve, Sara awoke and began to move her eyes and hands, bringing great joy to her family and boyfriend.

Her father noted that in April, Sara “suddenly opened her eyes.”

Yelting emphasized that it is necessary to be positive around the parents and family members of those who are in a coma or in similar situations. He also spoke of the importance of  “never giving up” in the face of suffering.

Yelting recalled that he would tell his daughter, “you are my favorite, my champion, and you are going to be okay,” even though he was bombarded with the message, “that there is nothing left to be done.” 

“While there is life there is hope, and I will not give up,” he added.