Featured Image Credit: (X / @LifeSaudiArabia)
Topics: Health, World News, Parenting
Saskia Calliste
Prince Al-Waleed bin Khaled bin Talal, also known as the 'sleeping prince', has been in a coma for two decades as his family refuse the advice of medical professionals.
Khaled bin Talal was in the UK for military school in 2005 when he was involved in a serious car accident, where he suffered a severe brain injury that has left him unresponsive ever since.
The 'sleeping prince' turned 36 on 18th April, nearly 20 years on from the incident, and yet not much has changed about his condition.
The prince is being cared for by a team of dedicated medical professionals at King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
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Despite the long amount of time the prince has been under, his parents Prince Khaled bin Talal Al Saud and Princess Reema bint Talal, have not given up hope and refuse to take their son off life support - even though doctors have previously recommended it.
Al Saud vehemently refused to give up on his son as he expressed: “If God had wanted him to die in the accident, he would have been in his grave now.
"His refusal was rooted in faith and an enduring hope that his son might one day regain consciousness."
His mother, Reema bint Talal, has previously spoken out about still feeling her son's presence and believes that there is still vitality in his spirit.
Since the years the prince has been under medical care, his condition has, for the most part, remained unchanged. However, in 2019, it is reported that he lifted a finger.
According to Roya news: “The prince remains on life support, relying on mechanical ventilation and a feeding tube. The last documented movements occurred in 2019, when he reportedly showed signs of limited awareness through small gestures, such as lifting a finger or slightly moving his head—though these moments did not indicate a return to full consciousness.”
This year, the family have not spoken out or given any update on their son, with no statement being released on the prince's birthday. However, social media attention has bought renewed interest to the shocking story and people are keeping the prince in their thoughts and prayers.
This seems to happen each year on the prince's birthday, as the story is known all over the world.
Khaled bin Talal is a member of the Saudi royal family, with his great-grandfather being the founder of modern Saudi Arabia.