Unrest in Middle East, Preventing Family from Seeing Framingham Man in Coma

After hearing her son Loka Nabil Wahba, 21, of Framingham was in a coma following a rollover crash in Westborough during the early morning hours of Aug. 26, his mother made plans to travel half way around the world to be by her son's side.

However, his family from Egypt can not be by his side because of visa problems, and the unrest in the Middle East is only making matters worse, reports Fox25 Boston.

Wahba, originally from Egypt, was seriously injured when he was ejected from his car on Route 9 in Westborough. He was taken to UMass Medical Center in Worcester, where he remains in a coma.

Wahba's family began the visa application process before the Sept. 11 attack in Libya; however, the unrest in the Middle East is making it next to impossible to come to Masachusetts to be with their son.

Susan Craighead, a lawyer, has taken up Wahba's cause and is trying to reach out to various politicians in Massachusetts in order to get Wahba's family to the United States, reported Fox25 Boston. Sen. Scott Brown's Office is aware of Wahba's plight and is attempting to expedite the process for his family.

Rev. Angelos Bishara of St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church, according to the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, is also working to help the family.

Rev. Bishara and Wahba’s cousin, David Ghobrial of Worcester, have been trying since the accident to get Mr. Wahba’s mother and brother to come to the U.S. to be by Wahba’s side, reported the Worcester newspaper. He said  Wahba’s brother was denied a visa even before violence broke out at embassies in Libya and Egypt last week. He said he suspects the refusal to give  Wahba’s brother a visa was because he is a single man, and authorities might think he wouldn’t have enough reason to return home. Family members didn’t think it would be appropriate to have Wahba’s mother travel alone.

“Loka will benefit with his mother and brother praying for him and talking to him, if there’s any hope of recovery,” Rev. Bishara told the Telegram & Gazette.