Doctors believe Lamar Odom will have to learn to walk and talk again during a lengthy stint of rehabilitation expected to take many months, it has been claimed.
TMZ reported the former star basketballer is likely to have suffered some undetermined permanent damage to his body after he collapsed on Tuesday during a drink and drug-fueled binge in a Nevada brothel.
Having now awoken from a three-day coma, his health is slowly improving but his rehabilitation is expected to require the use of therapists for several months.
It's also believed his estranged wife Khloe Kardashian has vowed to stay with him throughout the ordeal he faces - and is refusing to leave his side, People reported.
Since awakening from the Odom's health has been making a steady improvement as the Kardashian clan united around his bedside in a Las Vegas hospital over the weekend.
The former LA Lakers star, for the first time, could socialize and move around, and is 'heading in the right direction,' E! News reported.
Kim, Kendall and Khloe's best friends Khadija and Malika Haqq leave Sunrise Hospital on Saturday night after visiting Lamar
According to the Los Angeles Times, Odom was 'conversational', able to speak sentences and send text messages. The Times also reported that a spokeswoman for Odom's aunt also said that he was improving, as he is able to breath on his own.
The 35-year-old was also helped out of his bed and onto a chair and also passed a critical swallow test, E! News reported. This is a ‘promising sign of neurological function’ because it shows Odom can swallow on his own after doctors removed his breathing tube.
However, most of the athlete's communication comes through a simple thumbs-up or thumbs-down, E! News reported. A source close to the situation told E! News: 'This is great progress but there is always the possibility for setbacks.'
Odom was taken off a ventilator on Friday night after he collapsed on Tuesday during a drink and drug-fueled binge in a Nevada brothel.
On hearing the news, Kim Kardashian, her mother Kris Jenner and sister Kendall Jenner dropped everything to board a private jet in Van Nuys, California, to head to Nevada's Sunrise Hospital, where Khloe Kardashian has been keeping a 24-hour vigil beside her estranged husband, despite breaking up with him in 2013.
Kendall even flew in from London, where she has been working as a model, and the family has suspended all activity on their paid-for apps to rally around 35-year-old Odom. 'As a family we've decided to hold off on publishing content across our apps while we continue to support and pray for Lamar,' they said. 'Thank you for your kindness and understanding during this difficult time.
Sources said Khloe has become a 'shell of herself' since Odom's collapse. Being his legal guardian - in charge of his medical decisions - has 'been very hard on her', Us Magazine reported.
Her mother Kris and all sisters except for Kendall initially flew to the hospital on Thursday, and left a few hours later. Khloe, however, refused to leave Odom's side.
It remains uncertain what long-term damage Odom faces.
Previously, reports claimed four of his organs - including his kidneys - were failing and that doctors were losing hope for him the longer he was in a coma.
The good news about Odom regaining consciousness and breathing on his own comes after security footage emerged that appears to show him taking pills and drinking with a prostitute in the brothel where he was fell ill.
The surveillance clip reportedly shows the basketball star slumped over in his seat as he is given a drink and a shot by the bikini-clad woman at the Love Ranch Vegas on Saturday – three days before he collapsed.
Odom is later apparently seen taking a pill out of a small bag and popping it into his mouth, it was reported by Radar Online.
However, it is not clear from the grainy footage what the person was taking or whether he did ingest anything.
After most of the Kardashian and Jenner women returned to Las Vegas on Saturday, their social media accounts filled with good news.
'I believe in the power of prayer!' Kim Kardashian tweeted on Saturday, with a picture of her and Lamar dancing. 'Thx 4 ur prayers Lammy- So happy Kendall & I could make u smile 2day God is good!'
'Come on Lamar!!!' Kris Jenner wrote on an Instagram post just hours after news of Odom's positive turnaround broke. 'You are such a champion. I know you got this,' she continued.
However, Khloe has stayed in Odom's hospital room, keeping an eye on his care. 'Making these decisions is very hard, the source told Us magazine. 'Kris came and was very helpful and supportive.
'Most people have been waiting in a waiting room outside the room and will go in one at a time. Khloe has really been the only one in the room 24/7, sleeping by his bedside and keeping vigil.'
Malika Haqq also played the dutiful best friend to Khloe on Friday. The 32-year-old Kardashian side-kick was seen arriving at Sunrise Hospital in Las Vegas to visit pal Khloe while her ex was being treated.
The brunette reality star kept a low profile as she talked to staff at the facility.
Sources said on Saturday that Odom has had the 'best 24 hours' since his hospitalization, TMZ reported.
His children Lamar Jr and Destiny certainly appeared to have received some good news as they were photographed smiling Friday evening after leaving the hospital, along with their grandfather Joe.
Entertainment Tonight meanwhile has released the itemized bill from Lamar's stay at the Love Ranch brothel, which breaks down what he spent his money on - and reveals that prostitutes Ryder Cherry and Monica Monroe were made available to Lamar for the price of $37,500 each.
