Doctors were ready to switch Marwa’s life support machine off, until she opened her eyes to show she was still responding.

The one-year-old had been in an induced coma since September after battling a serious virus.

Doctors wanted to switch her machine off after growing increasingly concerned that if she did wake up, she could have severe functional difficulties.

However, her parents weren’t ready to give up and sought court action to keep her receiving care for as long as possible.

And after being given a two-month extension, Marwa woke up to defy all expectations.

This footage, posted by her father on Facebook, shows the moment her eyes opened — showing doctors that she was still responding.

Her parents, originally from Algeria, began a petition to challenge the doctors in court.

The ‘Not without my Marwa’ campaign collected more than 114,000 signatures.

Officials then ruled in favour of an ‘extension of care’ for an extra two months at La Timone hospital, Marseille.

But doctors argued that she would never breathe independently and that she would struggle to walk or eat for the rest of her life.

However, she woke up and her mother has since clarified on social media that all of her organs work as they should.

Speaking to a local news website, her father said: ‘Her treatment continues, but we see progress every day and that gives us a lot of hope.

‘When I speak to her, she hears my voice, she reacts, sometimes even smiles.’

Medically induced comas are designed to protect the brain after traumatic brain injuries or serious viruses.

They require a type of drug that temporarily reduces brain activity, preventing the person from responding on their own.

Breathing and blood pressure are maintained through the use of medication.

The high pressure caused by brain swelling can reduce oxygen reaching some areas, but an induced coma can help to reduce the inflammation.

Because Marwa’s brain was not seen to be responding while she was in the coma, doctors assumed she may have experienced neurological problems as a result.