Young Saudi teacher Khalid Akash experienced moments of pain and sorrow as he underwent repeated dialysis sessions while also searching for the possibility of a kidney transplant for over a year. This did not prevent Akash from performing his profession, to which he dedicated his entire life; during his hospital dialysis sessions, he was teaching his students their lessons remotely.
Akash contracted the coronavirus, which caused his body to "collapse," and his health condition became critical, leading him into a coma that lasted more than 90 days. He recounted his ordeal to "Al Arabiya.net," saying, "My body collapsed due to my infection with the coronavirus, and I was admitted to King Khalid Hospital in Al-Kharj. My condition worsened after five days, which forced doctors to transfer me to Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Hospital in Riyadh, and after some time, I fell into a long coma."
He added, "During the coma, which lasted more than 90 days, I suffered from pain and nightmares that I experienced in my dreams... it was an incredibly difficult few days and months. After a long period of suffering, I woke up... I couldn't believe that I had spent all that time in a coma. I thought of my family and their suffering during that time and how they endured all that pain and sorrow."
Regarding his current health, he said, "Thank God I have overcome the stage of COVID-19, but I still suffer from the pain of dialysis, as I applied for a transplant a year and a half ago in Riyadh, but my request was rejected... I hope this suffering ends, and I have hope and trust in God, the authorities, and the Ministry of Health to look into my case and respond quickly to my health condition."
When asked if there was a donor from his family, he said, "Unfortunately, my family members suffer from diabetes and hypertension, and they cannot donate kidneys."
Finally, he spoke about the joy of his students upon his return to teaching, saying, "Despite the pain and the long coma, the joy of my students and their great love and reception for me had a significant impact on my mental state."
