Sydney bride opens her eyes for first time after suffering strokes on honeymoon

A Sydney bride who suffered multiple strokes on her honeymoon in the US is showing small signs of improvement and has opened her eyes for the first time.

Francheska Bechara, 27, was rushed to hospital on October 13 after she was found unconscious by her husband Joe in the gym at the New York City hotel where they were staying.

Ms Bechara’s brother-in-law Joe Toubia told nine.com.au the primary school teacher was now able to open her eyes for 5-10 seconds and follow some instructions.

“Fran’s condition is slightly better. She has listened to a nurse and squeezed her hand with her left hand and lifted her left leg,” Mr Toubia said.

“She has also had her breathing tube removed from her mouth and replaced with an oxygen breathing mask,” he said.

But Mrs Bechara was yet to speak any words since she suffered the stroke nine days ago, he said.

“She can’t speak,” he said, adding that doctors had warned them that her recovery would be slow.

“They are happy with her progress but it will be a long period of time, three or four months, before they know her final condition.”

Mrs Bechara’s family said she appeared perfectly healthy before her honeymoon and doctors were still at a loss to explain what caused the strokes.

Mrs Bechara and her husband tied the knot on October 7 in Sydney’s Darlington in a lavish ceremony, followed by a reception at Bonnyrigg with almost 700 guests.

The tragedy struck just days into their planned three-week honeymoon when Mrs Bechara went for a workout at their hotel gym.

“Joe went outside for smoke break and she was in the gym training. He went back in and he found her unconscious. It looked like she had been trying to use her phone to call for help,” Mr Toubia said.

Mrs Bechara was rushed to hospital where she was put in an induced coma. She has had three surgeries to reduce the pressure on her brain.

Doctors at first believed the stroke may have been caused by a blood clot that travelled from her heart to her brain, however during the surgeries no blood clot was found.

Doctors were forced to cut part of Mrs Bechara’s skull to relieve pressure from the swelling on her brain, Mr Toubia said.

Work colleagues of Mr Bechara’s, at Milestone Civil Australia, where he is a project manager, have set up an online fundraiser for the couple which has so far raised more than $144,000.

Contact reporter Emily McPherson at emcpherson@nine.com.au.