Celine Haidar, a beloved player on Lebanon’s national women’s football team, has awakened from a coma following severe injuries sustained in an Israeli airstrike in November. Haidar, who remains in the intensive care unit at Saint Georges Hospital in Ashrafiyeh, has shown small yet profound signs of recovery.
Haidar’s injuries stem from a strike that targeted the Chiyah area in southern Beirut during the recent war. Her condition remains critical as she is unable to speak and continues to rely on a ventilator for breathing, according to her coach at the Beirut Football Academy, Samer Barbary.
“She still cannot speak, but when I asked her if she wanted to play football, she pressed on my hand,” Barbary told This is Beirut. The gesture, though simple, speaks volumes about Haidar’s spirit and determination.
In a touching moment of connection, one of Haidar’s teammates handed her a pen and paper, asking if she remembered her name. Haidar responded by writing it down.
According to Barbary, Haidar had awakened from the coma a few weeks ago, but recent developments in her movement have sparked cautious optimism. While she remains unable to communicate verbally, Haidar is awake and aware.
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