A 27-year-old Danish physiotherapy student suffered a life-threatening brain hemorrhage while studying for exams, leaving him in a locked-in state for six months where he could only move his eyes. Today, after intensive rehabilitation and unwavering support from his younger brother, Laurits Dahlerup has made a remarkable recovery and is returning to his studies.
A Night That Changed Everything
Laurits and Johan Dahlerup had only lived together for a month and a half when their lives changed dramatically one November evening just over two years ago. Johan was celebrating his birthday with friends at their shared apartment in Vanløse, while Laurits had gone to his girlfriend’s place to study for an exam in his physiotherapy program.
While working on his exam preparations, Laurits suddenly experienced an excruciating headache. He stood up from the sofa to search for pain medication, but his girlfriend quickly realized something was seriously wrong. One side of his face was drooping, and he could barely stand. She immediately called emergency services.
The last thing Laurits remembers is being surrounded by paramedics in his girlfriend’s bed. After that, everything went dark.
An Unexpected Call
Back at the apartment in Vanløse, Johan had just asked his guests to sit down for dinner when his mother called. He almost put the phone on speaker, expecting a birthday greeting. Something told him to step into another room instead.
It turned out to be far more serious than a birthday wish. His older brother had been rushed away in an ambulance. They didn’t know what was wrong, but it didn’t look good. Johan instinctively grabbed extra clothes from his brother’s closet and headed straight to the hospital, leaving 15 birthday guests behind.
Rigshospitalet became Laurits’s home for the next six months. The hospital room quickly became Johan’s second home as well.
Between Life and Death
After several examinations, doctors discovered that Laurits had suffered a brain hemorrhage. The next six months exist only in scattered, blurry glimpses for Laurits. But his younger brother Johan remembers everything vividly.
One image burned into his consciousness was a sign above his brother’s bed that read “do not resuscitate.” The entire half-year was marked by uncertainty about whether he would ever get back the brother he knew. Progress came in fits and starts, two steps forward and at least one step back.
First, Laurits was in a coma for three weeks. Then he suddenly improved, giving the family brief hope that was quickly snatched away again. Laurits experienced what doctors suspected was increased pressure in the brain, and they lost contact with him once more.
Locked Inside His Own Body
As a consequence of the brain hemorrhage, Laurits ended up in a so-called locked-in state for six months. He was paralyzed throughout his entire body except for his eyes. Doctors conducted countless tests trying to determine why Laurits suffered the brain hemorrhage, but they never found an answer.
Despite not being able to communicate with his brother and sometimes doubting whether he was even present in that locked body, Johan never left his side. Laurits doesn’t remember anything from that period, but he believes that in his subconscious, he could sense his brother’s presence and that it helped him find his way back.
For the family, it was truly a day-to-day struggle trying to understand whether Laurits was alive or dead. The first six months was clearly the family’s battle more than his own, Laurits acknowledges today. Nobody really dared to hope that things would end well.
Learning to Brush Teeth Again
After six months of uncertainty, Laurits first began to wiggle a thumb, then his eyes moved around, and suddenly an entire hand moved. Everyone celebrated the progress, but Johan’s celebration was somewhat different. Following advice from doctors, he had begun to let go of his brother. He had actually said goodbye, he admits.
The progress that everyone cheered about felt false to him because he didn’t dare hope anymore. When he discovered that his brother was actually genuinely getting better, it caused him pain. He suddenly felt guilty for not having believed in it.
He then committed everything to helping his brother back to a good life, because everything had to be relearned from scratch. Johan helped his brother learn to brush his teeth again, among other basic tasks. That effort meant everything to Laurits, who remembers positive moments from his fight back.
Even when you’re struggling physically, sitting in a wheelchair without the ability to walk or speak, you can still have valuable and good moments with friends and family, he reflects.
Back to Normal Life
Today, a little over two years after that fateful evening, Laurits has returned to a normal everyday life. He only moved back into the Vanløse apartment a few months ago. After being discharged from Rigshospitalet, he was admitted for rehabilitation at Filadelfia neurological rehabilitation hospital.
Now they could finally celebrate the younger brother’s birthday together in the apartment. After nearly two years alone in the apartment, Johan enjoys having his brother home again. Even the small annoying things about sharing an apartment make him happy, like when his brother occupies the toilet or bathroom too long, or when he gets irritated about forgotten dishes in the living room.
A Way Forward
Physically, Laurits is close to being back to normal. He can walk, cycle, and drive a car. He can actually do everything, just slower and with longer breaks in between, he says. In fact, he’s functioning so well today that he’s resuming his physiotherapy studies in February.
Access to quality Danish healthcare played a crucial role in his recovery, providing the intensive medical treatment and rehabilitation he needed.
Laurits wants to share his story to show that there really is a way out of such a difficult situation. You can come very far if you fight for it, he emphasizes. His remarkable recovery stands as testament to both medical excellence and the power of family support.
Sources and References
The Danish Dream: Danish Healthcare Explained for Tourists & Expats
The Danish Dream: Health Insurance in Denmark for Foreigners
TV2: Da han læste op til eksamen, blev han ramt af en livsfarlig hovedpine
