MAZATLAN, Mexico – The family of a Calgary woman who was severely beaten in Mexico says she emerged from a medically induced coma Monday and recognized her husband at her bedside.
Paul Giles said doctors in Mexico revived his sister, Sheila Nabb, three days after she suffered a brutal beating at a luxury hotel on the country’s northwest coast.
“She has a long road of recovery ahead of her, but we all know that Sheila will pull through this with the support of everyone she has ever met, and many that have never met her,” Giles wrote in an email.
The 37-year-old woman had her cheek and other facial bones broken in the attack. She was found in a pool of blood early Saturday at the Hotel Riu Emerald in Mazatlan.
Her brother said that when she awoke Monday, she wasn’t able to speak because doctors had wired her mouth shut. But Giles said she recognized her husband, Andrew Nabb, and was responsive.
Giles said it appears there is no brain damage and his sister is breathing without the assistance of a ventilator.
“Andrew’s father told me last night that he was amazed at his son’s disposition through this traumatic event and described Andrew as a ‘pillar,'” Giles said. “It just goes to show exactly how much he truly loves her.”
The family has established a trust fund to help pay for medical expenses not covered by health insurance.
Giles said his sister is scheduled to undergo facial reconstructive surgery Wednesday or Thursday.
Canada’s official travel warning for Mexico includes the Mazatlan area, where there’s been a surge in violence related to organized crime.
The incident is the latest report of violence involving Canadians visiting Mexico in recent weeks.
The body of Ximena Osequeda, a Vancouver resident and University of British Columbia student, was found last month partially buried on a beach in Huatulco, south of Acapulco.
Robin Wood, 67, of Salt Spring Island, B.C., was killed in January when he confronted two suspects who tried to rob a friend’s home in Melaque, south of Puerto Vallarta.
— By Michael Tutton in Halifax
