Prince Al-Waleed bin Khaled bin Talal Al Saud, often called the "Sleeping Prince," passed away on July 19, 2025, at the age of 36, after spending two decades in a coma. His case captured global attention—not just because he was a Saudi royal, but because it raised important, complicated questions about the boundaries of medicine, the cost of hope, and how deeply religion and science can collide when life is suspended in the in-between.

This is not just a story of a tragic accident. It’s a case study in coma care, the medical frontier of consciousness, and the emotional weight of keeping someone alive long after the mind may have left the body.

The 2005 Accident and Immediate Aftermath

The story began in 2005 when 15-year-old Al-Waleed, studying at the London Cadet Academy, was involved in a devastating car crash in the UK. He suffered a traumatic brain injury with internal bleeding, injuries so severe that doctors placed him into a medically induced coma. When he didn’t regain consciousness, he was transferred to King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh.

There, for nearly 20 years, he remained on life support—unable to communicate or move voluntarily, yet never declared brain dead.

His father, Prince Khaled bin Talal, made a resolute decision: he would not allow doctors to remove his son from the machines keeping him alive. "If God had wanted him to die in the accident, he would have been in his grave now," the prince once said. For two decades, that conviction never wavered.

Coma, Vegetative State, and the Science of Minimal Consciousness

A coma is a state of deep unconsciousness from which a person cannot be awakened. It usually lasts days to weeks. After that, some patients recover; others transition into what's known as a Persistent Vegetative State (PVS)—a condition in which the patient appears awake but shows no awareness of self or environment. Then there’s the Minimally Conscious State (MCS), where the individual shows intermittent, inconsistent signs of awareness, like responding to voices or moving a finger.

Al-Waleed’s condition fell somewhere between PVS and MCS. Videos over the years, shared by family members, showed him making small movements—turning his head or lifting a finger when spoken to. These moments offered slivers of hope, though neurologists often consider such responses involuntary or reflexive.

A team of specialists from the US and Spain evaluated him in 2017, hoping to treat ongoing bleeding in his brain. Despite their efforts, meaningful progress never came.

Two Decades of Medical Timeline

2005: Al-Waleed is critically injured in a car crash in the UK.

2006: Transferred to Riyadh; placed on full life support—ventilator, feeding tubes, 24/7 ICU care.

2007–2016: Minor signs of response (eye flickering, finger movement) periodically observed.

2017: US and Spanish neurologists assess his condition. Surgery considered, but no breakthrough.

2019: Viral video shows the prince moving his head—interpreted by many as a sign of improvement.

2020–2024: Social media updates continue from family. Hospital room becomes a space for communal prayer.

2025: Prince Al-Waleed passes away after nearly 20 years in a coma.

ICU, Machines, and the Cost of Care

Prolonged life support is a complex mix of technology, manpower, and belief. Over 20 years, Al-Waleed required continuous mechanical ventilation, a gastrostomy feeding tube, urinary catheters, frequent physiotherapy to prevent muscle atrophy, and round-the-clock nursing care.

In medical terms, this is high-burden, high-cost care. For families, it’s also emotionally exhausting. Hope becomes both a gift and a weight—especially when every slight movement is interpreted through a lens of miraculous potential.

In most countries, patients in similar conditions are eventually removed from life support. But in Saudi Arabia—and many other faith-based societies—the decision is more than medical. It’s spiritual.

The Faith vs. Medicine Divide

Prince Khaled bin Talal's refusal to remove his son from life support became a focal point for public debate. In many Islamic cultures, life is considered sacred and not to be ended prematurely by human hands. The Saudi health system often reflects this stance.

Yet this case wasn't only about religion—it was about whether medicine should sustain life at any cost, even if consciousness never returns.

Over the years, some viewed the decision as inspiring, a father’s unwavering love fueled by faith. Others, including parts of the global medical community, questioned whether continued life support was prolonging suffering in a life devoid of awareness.

The science around coma recovery is still evolving. Modern brain imaging tools like fMRI and PET scans have shown that some patients labeled as vegetative do, in fact, have signs of covert consciousness—areas of the brain responding to speech or even visual stimuli.

There's also research into stimulation therapies, like transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and deep brain stimulation (DBS), offering hope for select patients. But the reality is that patients who remain in a vegetative state for more than a year have an extremely low chance of meaningful recovery.

Prince Al-Waleed’s case, despite global specialist involvement, saw no such breakthrough. In the end, Prince Al-Waleed became a symbol—of paternal devotion, of the hope that endures even when medicine has few answers, and of the ethical gray zone where religion, medicine, and morality overlap.

As medicine continues to push boundaries—extending life, restoring movement, decoding consciousness—the case of the Sleeping Prince reminds us that the hardest decisions are not about what we can do, but what we should do.

For something that’s supposed to be a monthly saviour, your sanitary pad could actually be a trouble in disguise. If you’ve ever spent your period feeling itchy, sore, or just...off, you’re not imagining it. According to gynaecologist Dr Vaidehi Marathe, many conventional pads and tampons contain elements that don’t quite agree with your body.

Itchiness is a common complaint during menstruation, but most people blame sweat, heat, or hormones. The real problem, says Dr Marathe, might be your pad itself. Many commercial pads are loaded with synthetic materials, added fragrances, and chemical adhesives that can irritate the delicate skin in your intimate area. That persistent itch could be your body’s way of saying, please get this thing off me.

Rashes, roughness, and friction

It doesn’t end with itching. If you’ve ever developed a rash down there during your period, Dr Marathe says your pad’s texture or material could be behind it. "Poor-quality materials or excessive friction can cause chafing, redness, and irritation," she says in an Instagram video.

Even tampons, which many prefer for comfort and convenience, aren’t totally innocent. High-absorbency varieties are known to dry out the vaginal lining, leading to discomfort and even micro-tears. Dr Marathe warns that such dryness disturbs the natural balance of the vaginal mucosa, and that’s when things can start to get really unpleasant.

That smell isn’t just your period

While menstruation has a natural odour, a strange or strong scent often comes from bacterial buildup, not your body. Pads, especially the non-breathable kind, can trap moisture and create a breeding ground for bacteria. Dr Marathe points out that the odour is often caused by bacteria thriving in that warm, moist environment.

Healthier swaps

You don’t have to suffer for the sake of convenience. Look beyond the supermarket aisle. Cloth pads, menstrual cups, and period underwear are all gentler options that are free of harmful chemicals and better for your skin and the environment. They allow the area to breathe and are less likely to cause irritation or dryness.

Menstrual cups in particular have gained popularity for being economical, eco-friendly, and surprisingly comfortable once you get the hang of them.

Your period deserves better

Periods are already uncomfortable enough without adding allergic reactions, rashes, or infections to the mix. If you’re constantly battling irritation or feeling ‘off’ during your cycle, it’s worth examining what’s coming into contact with your skin for hours at a stretch.

Many people start their day with a glass of lemon water, hoping for a range of health benefits—from better skin to improved digestion. But what actually happens when you stick to this habit every day for a month? According to gastroenterologist Dr Saurabh Sethi, lemon water can offer some real advantages, as long as you are aware of a few important points.

Lemons Pack a Big Punch

Lemons are packed with more than 30 beneficial plant compounds, says Dr Sethi. These include antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents that support your body's daily housekeeping on a cellular level.

But freshly squeezed is important. “Pasteurised lemon juice often loses a significant portion of its nutritional value,” Dr Sethi explains.

Absorption Gets a Boost

While you are sipping away, thinking you are just hydrating enough, something pretty important is happening in the background. The natural acidity of lemons can help your body absorb minerals more effectively, particularly iron, according to Dr Sethi. That means your morning lemon ritual might be giving your iron supplements or spinach salads a bit of extra firepower.

And lemon water does not magically "alkalise" your body. But what it does do is help your digestive system set the stage for better nutrient uptake.

Skin Goals and Collagen Dreams

If you are secretly hoping for that elusive “glow-up” by day 30, you might be in luck. Lemons are a great source of vitamin C, a key player in the production of collagen, the protein responsible for keeping your skin firm, your joints cushioned, and your connective tissues in top shape.

Dr Sethi says that daily lemon water may support healthier skin from the inside out. Think of it as your internal skincare serum.

The Bitter Truth

As Dr Sethi points out, lemon water might not be ideal for everyone, especially those with acid reflux or sensitive stomachs. The very same acidity that helps with mineral absorption can irritate the oesophagus lining or worsen heartburn in susceptible folks. If you have ever felt that familiar burn after a glass of lemony water, your body is throwing a sign.

Our parents always ensure that we learned the importance of dental hygiene. Being taught from a young age, most of us are aware of how a lack of oral hygiene not only makes us sick but can make a bad impression of us on others. However, there may be a lot more to oral hygiene than we know.

A new study suggests that poor dental health might be an early sign of serious long-term health problems like type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Researchers recently reported in the Journal of Oral Rehabilitation that people with signs of unhealthy mouths—such as missing teeth or a coated tongue—were also more likely to have high blood sugar, high cholesterol, and reduced kidney function.

What the Study Examined

For the study, researchers followed 118 men and women aged 50 or older. They compared dental exam results from 2021 with physical exam results from both 2021 and 2023. The dental exams checked several aspects of oral health, including:

• Tongue coating: How much buildup was on the tongue.
• Mouth dryness: The level of moisture in the mouth.
• Number of functional teeth: How many healthy teeth remained.
• Tongue pressure: The strength of the tongue.
• Chewing and swallowing ability: How well a person could perform these actions.
• Oral Diadochokinesis (OD): A test measuring how quickly and accurately someone can repeat syllables (like "pa-ta-ka").

Oral-Systemic Connection

The study discovered clear links between a person's mouth health and their overall body health. People with high blood sugar often had fewer teeth left and struggled more with the speech clarity test. This suggests a link between diabetes risk and losing teeth or having weaker mouth muscles

Those with high cholesterol frequently had a coated tongue and also performed poorly on the speech clarity test. This points to a surprising connection between fat levels in the blood and certain mouth signs. Individuals with reduced kidney function showed signs like a coated tongue, fewer healthy teeth, and poorer scores on the speech clarity test. This indicates that kidney problems might show up in mouth health. These results suggest that a decline in how well your mouth works might increase your risk for lifestyle-related diseases and make you more likely to become frail as you age.

Why the Link? Possible Explanations

Scientists believe this connection could be due to unhealthy bacteria that grow when the mouth isn't well cared for, or because of inflammation (swelling and irritation) found in diseased gums and teeth. These problems in the mouth might then affect other parts of the body, leading to broader health issues.

It’s important to remember that this study only observed a link; it doesn't directly prove that poor dental health causes these other illnesses. It's also possible that having chronic diseases might make it harder to maintain good oral health.

What You Can Do Now

More research with a larger number of people is needed to fully understand how mouth health and long-term diseases are connected.

In the meantime, experts suggest it wouldn't hurt to include simple checks like counting teeth and doing speech clarity tests during regular doctor visits. These simple checks could potentially give early clues about hidden health problems. Keeping your mouth healthy is always a smart step for your overall well-being.