University of Pretoria student communicating after she had been comatose for three months

A University of Pretoria student, who has been in a coma for nearly three months, is slowly recovering and starting to communicate, Rekord East reports.

Adel Cato (20) was hit by a car in Hatfield on 16 July, leaving her with injuries to the head.

Her father Frank said Adel was starting to mumble in an attempt to communicate.

“She has been doing so much better. She is reacting to us and has started mumbling to us.”

Adel was discharged from the intensive care unit more than a week ago and has been undergoing rehabilitation.

Cato said even though Adel was doing well, she still had a long way to go.

“She is being taught how to eat and walk all over again. There was a lot of damage to her brain.

Previously Adel had attained level 3 of consciousness, which meant she was slowly regaining full consciousness, but was not aware of what was happening around her.

Cato said doctors would now be able to assess the extent of damage done to her brain and would be able to prescribe the necessary rehabilitation.

“Doctors say there are levels from 1 to 8 when a person wakes up from a coma,” he said.

“Now she is at level 6 and is more aware of her surroundings and is able to react.”

Cato and his wife, who are from the Hartebeespoort area, have been housed at the Magrietjie students residence at the University of Pretoria for the past two-and-a-half months.

“Yolanda and Andre, the caretakers, have been really generous and offered us a room to stay so we so we could be close to our daughter during her hospitalisation.

“We are so grateful to them for their help and generosity,” he said.