British television presenter out of coma, 'nearly died' in Rio

Medal count | Olympic schedule | Olympic news

Charlie Webster, a sports media personality in the UK, was brought out of a weeklong induced coma Thursday, according to her family. She remains in serious condition after contracting a rare strain of malaria that caused her kidneys to fail during the illness.

The 33-year-old, who fell ill on the day of the Opening Ceremony after cycling 3,000 miles to the Games for charity, was initially admitted to a local Rio hospital, where doctors treated her for exhaustion and dehydration. A complication from a bacterial infection then caused her condition to worsen.

Thursday’s update is heartening during a very scary situation for the former Sky Sports and ITV personality who was supposed to be part of the media coverage for the Games.

Webster’s mother, Joy, flew from the UK to Brazil earlier in the week to be with her daughter.

“Charlotte knows she nearly died, she mouthed to me earlier ‘look at all the machines keeping me alive,’” Joy said. “Charlotte is really strong but as the doctors keep reminding me, everyone heals differently. I am just so thankful that she’s able to communicate with us again.”

In the latest update, doctors said that Webster’s kidneys still weren’t responding to treatment. They are also trying to establish where she may have caught the illness.

The goal now is for Webster’s condition to stabilize to the point that she is able to travel home with her family.