Sharon in coma for 4 years

Ariel Sharon’s family and friends marked the fourth anniversary of the former prime minister’s massive stroke.

Sharon, now 81, has never regained consciousness from the Jan. 4, 2006 stroke. He remains in a coma, though he is breathing on his own. He lives in a long-term care facility in Ra’anana. He is visited frequently by family and friends, according to reports.

Sharon, who was elected prime minister as head of the Likud Party in 2001, suffered the stroke several months after overseeing Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza. He formed the new centrist Kadima party to run in the country’s 2006 elections.

Medical experts say it is unlikely that Sharon will come out of the coma.