TABUK — Basma Al-Enizi, who has been brain-dead for about 20 days, peacefully died on Monday at King Khaled Hospital in Hail, her hometown in the presence of her loved ones. Funeral prayers were held for her at Al-Rajhi Mosque after noon prayer on Tuesday and she was buried at Saaden cemetery in the northern Saudi city. Basma was airlifted onboard a special medical evacuation aircraft from Portland, US, where she was living on life-support system at the Providence Hospital. Deputy Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman, second deputy premier and defense minister, has ordered the dispatch of the aircraft to bring Basma and her compatriot Ibtihal Abu Jabal, who was also brain-dead in Indiana. The two young women in their late 20s were both scholarship students in the US. Basma suffered brain damage after a severe asthma attack while Ibtihal was suffering from acute anemia and had a stroke, which caused her to go into a coma. Among tears, Basma's husband Hani Al-Enizi said it is as if his wife was waiting to arrive home before giving away her last breath among family, relatives and friends. "I was hoping that she would recover and continue her studies. However, death was faster and mischievous. It is her destiny that we cannot deny. I pray that her soul will rest in peace," he said. The bereaved husband thanked Prince Muhammad profusely and said he is a prince who loves his country and people. "Had it not been for Prince Muhammad, we would have suffered a lot to bring her back home especially that the American hospital had threatened to disconnect the life-support system if we did not transfer her immediately," he said. Al-Enizi described his late wife as a good woman and a strong believer. He said she used to recite Qur'an every day and was doing well in her studies. Basma left behind two children, a boy and a girl.
