“Man wakes after almost 20 years in a coma

It’s sounds like the plot of a movie, only it’s completely true. Terry Wallis lapsed into a coma over 19 years ago after a car wreck near his home in Arkansas. He’s been in a comatose state at the Stone County Nursing and Rehabilitation Centre for most of the time since that day. Last month, he opened his eyes and slowly regained the power of speech and a consciousness of the world around him.

His first word was, “Mom,” which was received with delight by his mother, Angilee Wallis, who aptly called her son’s recovery “a miracle.” David Good, a neurological rehabilitation specialist from Wake Forest University Medical School commented that Mr. Wallis’ recovery after almost two decades is so rare that statistics aren’t even kept on the event.

Terry’s long-term memory seems to function normally, but appears to have been frozen back in 1984. He awoke believing that Ronald Reagan was President, and asked for his grandmother who had died several years ago, remembering her phone number which everyone else in the family had forgotten. Jerry Wallis, Terry’s father commented, “You see, he’s still back in 1984.” James Zini, Wallis’ family physician instructed the hospital to treat Terry as though he were awake and functioning, and his family took him home with them for periodic visits. The few memories that he formed over the years were likely the results of conversations he overheard as he drifted in and out of the coma. One example of this was that Terry awoke knowing what a cell phone was, even though he had never seen one.

Terry hadn’t spoken to his family since 13 July 1984 when he said goodbye to his 17 year old wife and six-week old daughter and left for a drive with his close friend “Chub” Moore. Their truck smashed through a guardrail several miles out of town and plunged 25 feet before landing upside down in a creek bed below the road. They were found the next morning by the local police. Eight days later, Moore died and Terry was placed on a ventilator, heart monitor and a feeding tube.

The family is understandably ebullient over Terry’s miraculous recovery. Terry awoke unexpectedly when his mother entered the room and asked the question she’d become accustomed to asking on her daily visits, “Who’s here? Who is it who came to visit you today?” To her amazement, this time he answered. His first words were soon followed with a torrent as he struggled to get a grasp on the changes that had taken place. Terry’s language skills recovered slowly at first, a few words at a time, but now, according to his family he talks almost full time and has given interviews with reporters from around the world. His reunion with his family also included meeting his 19 year old daughter Amber, who was born just before the accident. For the first time, he was able to tell her, “You’re pretty” and “I love you.”

One can only imagine the difficult adjustments that lie ahead for Terry, as he adjusts to the world that is suddenly reappeared before him, and, simultaneously grapples with the challenges of his remaining medical problems. He remains a parapalegic with almost no use of his arms or legs. He is working with a speech therapist and has said that he hopes to work on walking again one day.”
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source: everything2.com

Amazing story, isn´t it guys!?