Rabbi Elyashiv conscious again after 2 weeks
Significant improvement noted in condition of 102-year-old haredi rabbi who is still nevertheless in very serious condition
After nearly two weeks of being unconscious Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv awoke from his sleep and started communicating with his surrounding on Sunday.
Over the weekend, doctors began lifting the artificial anesthetization state under which the Lithuanian leader has been. He responded surprisingly well to the procedure.
Doctors at the Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem said that a significant improvement in the 102-year-old rabbi's condition has been noted in the past day.
Nevertheless, he is still in very serious condition. Rabbi Elyashiv is currently alert and responding to his surrounding with hand and eye gestures. He has even gotten out of bed to sit on a chair in his room.
The rabbi is still being helped to breath with an artificial respiration machine. Despite the improvement in his condition, the rabbi still needs to be drained of liquids in his lungs and receive heart treatment.
Haredi journalist Shlomi Cook told Ynet on behalf of the Elyashiv family that the rabbi's relatives are very carefully optimistic at this point. "The rabbi is still in a life threatening state and this week is critical in terms of his recovery. That is why we must continue to pray for his health."
Last week, doctors tried to disconnect the rabbi from the respirator machines but his body did not respond well and his condition deteriorated. He finally became stabilized and put under the respirator again before Sunday's improvement.
Meanwhile, a Jerusalem yeshiva student last week decided to "donate" one year of his life for the Lithuanian leader's health and longevity.
