Céline Haydar in the BFA jersey in 2023. Instagram / Céline Haydar
After spending two months in an artificial coma, 19-year-old footballer Celine Haydar woke up on Monday.
The midfielder for the Beirut Football Academy (BFA) and a member of the national team suffered a severe head injury on Nov. 16, when she was struck by a piece of stone in the Chiyah neighborhood, a southern suburb of Beirut, during an Israeli strike amid the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel. She underwent skull surgery shortly after the incident.
At her bedside when she awoke, Haydar’s mother, Sanaa Chahroura, described the emotional moment to L’Orient-Le Jour. “She would occasionally open her eyes but would fall back asleep because of the medication. Gradually, the doctor reduced the dosage, and on the third day, she was able to wake up. She looked at us, and we said to her, ‘Blink if you hear us.’ When she did, we couldn’t believe it. We kissed her all over. She squeezed our hands. It’s an indescribable joy,” Chahroura said.
She added, “She woke up thanks to people’s prayers.”
Since waking up, Haydar, still reliant on oxygen, is unable to speak but communicates through gestures, writing on paper, or squeezing hands, her mother explained. She will require additional skull surgery to address the fracture but not immediately. She also faces physical therapy to regain mobility in her left arm and leg, which remain immobile.
"She fought because she loves life"
Haydar was injured while “walking down the street near her home in Chiyah,” according to her friend and former teammate, Nour Ghadban, who spoke to L’Orient-Le Jour shortly after the incident. Following her initial surgery, Haydar was transferred to Saint George’s Orthodox Hospital in Achrafieh.
“Thanks to God, she woke up,” Chahroura said. “My daughter is strong. She fought because she loves life.” However, her parents are deeply concerned about whether Haydar will be able to pursue her dreams in sports.
“Her father and I think about this a lot. Her care will take time. She had big dreams, and I want her to achieve them. We will do everything for her. Moreover, she is someone very stubborn and very strong,” her mother said.
According to L’Orient-Le Jour’s count, at least 16 players or members of football clubs have been killed in Israeli strikes on Lebanon since Oct. 8, 2023, with several others injured.
