One year ago this week, CNN's Anderson Cooper investigated the phenomenon of "awakening", where patients in a minimally conscious state suddenly "wake-up" and begin responding to others.
@@rsd2871 *bored of life. Yeah in the show, he was conscious the whole time but couldn't react. Which could rly happen. In this story, he really was unconscious/ unaware. Luckier that way, I think.
The fact that he felt so sad because he felt like he abandoned his family, not because he's missed so much of the world's changes, speaks so much about him. I bet he was an amazing father and husband while he had the chance. RIP.
@@rayluby6659 I think they just meant that’s a good wife but idrk. Also I don’t mean to go full Twitter idiot on here but technically she identifies as a woman so I think they just meant since she’s loyal to her personal beliefs and loyal to her husband she’s a “true woman”
In the Cocoanut Grove fire, a serviceman ran in 4x to save his blind date. Didn't make it out last time. Worst burned person to survive at that time (over 50%). He's a medical miracle and goes on tour. Married one of his nurses and 10 years later, driving in a jeep in Missouri, it flips and he's burned to death. How's that one for unfair?
I think something that people are missing is the fact this poor man wakes up to learn he's BLIND then learns he's been gone for 10 years. That's so brutal.
Not just blind, but it looks like he was missing parts - some digits, possibly? And he was effectively crippled from muscular atrophy, too. It must have been beyond hellish. Poor man.
I can tell you one thing. That’d be the greatest memory I’d die with. Real friends and family still holding out for you after 10 years. Real family right there.
It’s there unconscious instincts that developed evolutionary in the meaning of surviving and reproducing. They don’t have a choice to act different really because unconditional love and affection to close friends and family was necessary. In the end it’s nothing to be proud of from an independent point of view because the only reason for them to act like they do is to ensure that they exist by themselves and reproduce
@@alreawon1212And? Dying while knowing everyone around you loved you so much and we're there for you even if waking up seemed impossible...it'd be a truly amazing feeling Why would you try and downplay something like this?
Those words strike truer than most the minds who find this comment will experience, whether they consciously realize it or not. It is one subjective experience connecting with another's through similar experience. This is what beauty is.
Why? I enjoy an unhappy ending every now and then. Hollywood is all "ride off into the sunset". It's gotten way too predictable. I mean movies, of course. This is still a tragedy.
@@KM-ub1sh I definitely like tragic endings in movies because they stand out and draw a lot of emotions out of me but I would still rant about it for years to come
As someone who works in medical critical care unit, I can tell you that 98% of the time there generally isnt any hope. Time and time again I have seen families trach and peg their loved one and send them out to long term care facilities. There really isnt any quality of life.
The thing is, we really don't understand how these kinds of brain injuries progress and heal. We have a vague understanding, but how the brain rewires itself is dynamic, parts that were isolated can be reconnected, or might remain isolated until the day the person dies. Studies in that area are ongoing, but we're decades away from having the kind of comprehensive knowledge required to develop therapies. It's not impossible, but for now people in these states are at the mercy of what might as well be random chance for all we can tell.
I had a similar experience with my grandfather. He was in a coma for several months at a rehab/nursing home. I would visit him a few times per week, where I just sat next to him hoping that he would be able to sense I was there trying to comfort him… Then one day when I walked into his room his eyes were open, and he was looking around. I was astounded! For several months his eyes were closed, he couldn’t talk or move his arms or legs. And now he was looking straight at me, while moving his legs back and forth and periodically shifting his arms. He snapped out of his coma for one day, and then the very next day he slipped into a coma again until he passed away a couple of months later. But during that one day when he awoke from the coma, it was such an amazingly profound experience. My grandpa was a gentle, soft spoken man, who was very kind. He wasn’t much of a talker, and his style of thought was very pragmatic based and without much pondering or creative musings. But during that one day when he snapped out of his coma, he spoke in a very philosophical manner. I was amazed, because it was so uncharacteristic of him. I could almost tangibly sense that my grandpa’s consciousness had transcended where it had been for the previous 77 years of his life. In our conversation we talked about life, about different paths of personal and spiritual development, and he told me numerous times to “keep my eyes clear.” I didn’t know exactly what he meant by that at the time… but interestingly enough, as life has taken big twists and turns in the ~15 years since his passing, that phrase has taken on a greater and clearer meaning. … there is definitely much more to consciousness than science currently suspects.
That's an amazing story, your grandfather is a great person, and I agree on your view about consciousness, there's still a lot more that science can't explain.
My brother had suffered from a drug overdose in '08 that had left him in a coma and vegetable state. He couldnt walk, talk, was hooked up to a feeding tube to survive. We were told he wouldn't ever pull through and was told to basically just give up on him. Of course we couldnt do that he is our blood and family. We had him moved from the hospital to a rehabilitation center called Kessler where little by little he started to get a little better. Idk how familiar people are with comas but there are different stages. My brother was slowly waking out of it but still couldnt walk on his own or even put sentences together. He got frustrated and agitated and tired very easily. He stayed in Kessler for a little over a year. Then one day a miracle!! And it just so happend to be on Mothers Day. My mother and i went to go vist my brother. We wheeled him in his wheelchair into the dining area and all of a sudden he just snapped out of it, looked around and said "where am i!?" His doctors where so baffled by what had happened! It just goes to show the brain is a powerful thing! Today my brother is married and just had a son a little over a year ago! He had to learn how to walk, talk, feed and bath himself all over again. If you have a loved one that has been in a horrific accident and is in a coma, DONT give up on them!! I remember sitting next to my brother everyday after work/school playing his favorite music, playing snowboarding videos for him, showing him pictures of his dream star crush mila kunas and reminiscing of all the fun things we used to do together. There where a lot of stressful and painful moments watching him go through what he went though but i think having his loved ones around helped a lot! Prayers and love for the ones in comas and the families and friends that are sticking by their loved ones side.
Video + your comment got me boobin like a baby. As happy as I can be for a stranger I am for you and your fam. What a cool story, does he have any lasting disabilities and how long was he out?
@@jaw3964 ❤️❤️ he walks a little off now thats the only thing! It's amazing how the brain works! the support he had with our family and the support from all the kind people at the rehab center he was at (Kessler) from the physical therapist, doctors and hands on nursing staff they all did such an excellent job helping us help my brother pull through! There is so much hope!
@@jroko33 I got a bad head injury playing football. I only remember bits for about a week after it happened. When I came back around it was almost as if my brain had reset and rerouted around certain parts of my brain. I still had all the memories from before, but it's almost as they belonged to someone else. Id think about things I'd done and be like "I could never do that now" I got anxiety and some other traits I'd never had before overnight. I adjusted and adapted and worked on those things, everything turned out just fine. The brain is such a strange thing, I always love hearing about things like this, we really don't know much about the brain in the big scheme.
I think that I would rather be asleep for 10 years and then waking up for a year to give my family some hope and peace before passing away rather than just being asleep for 11 years and passing away silently without even having any time left with them at all
That's probably the saddest thing I've ever seen. To be physically present, but mentally gone for 10 years, only to wake up for a brief moment and then lose it all over again. At least he got to talk to his family one last time.
Right I have 4 kids and just full on sobbed at work. Just felt everything he felt knowing I had missed out on a decade of his kids lives and seeing his sons react. It’s almost like he woke up just to give them that chance to connect again. Tragic 🥺
so awful, you can see how badly it destroyed him. at least he got that final chance to see his family though, many in the same situation as him would love to have that
Yeah, he didn't Even was available to watch them. . There was a huge chance to feel them, but he was summerged in a dark world for the rest of his days.
If told my partner if something like this ever happens to me that after 6 months she is to turn off all the machines and let me die in peace. I don’t want to be fed through a tube and kept alive by machines while completely unconscious for 10 years with no guarantee I’ll ever wake up. Before medical machinery to feed people through tubes these people would have died in very soon after falling asleep.
This literally feels like something currently happening in my life now. My stepfather was in a really bad accident in early December of last year, he was revived and went into a coma and then gradually went to a minimally conscious state, which he has been in for the past 5 months, he lives in a nursing home now and there is no sign of recovery for him just like the guy in this video. I empathize with the kids really hard right now, and while it would be a dream to even be able to hear him speak at all and for a "miracle" like in this video, I know this is a very rare case, unfortunately.
I think that when the decline happens post wake up, the brain may just be slightly 'powering down' to save energy and try to repair itself. Kinda how a plant has to be trimmed in order to properly direct it's energy to produce more leaves and flowers. There was a boy born with pretty much no brain and as he got older his brain developed itself! No one expected it at all. I'm no doctor though.
I was watching another documentary with a similar story and they just made sure someone was spending time with her on a daily basis, touching her hand, massaging her arm, to make her feel something, as well as playing music for her since the vibrations of sound can cause the skin or muscle to vibrate, not enough for us to be able to see. They also worked on activating her senses, like bringing in somethings for her to smell like lavender, rosemary etc. Eventually she woke up and she remembered all those things
Atleast he got to meet everybody. That simple high does of postive serotonin in his body from feeling of love to be with his family after 10 years was indeed good and better then having been living 10 years in coma and simply dying in his sleep. 🙏
@@words007 What serotonin? He's mortified and guilty he's been gone 10 years, not to mention he realizes he's blind and can't see them either. That cry of terror is not comforted by being surrounded by his family 10 years later
Its hard treating someone with a brain injury who can be impulsive and fall at any minute. So unfortunate, wish he could have had more time since he had to wait so long
Imagine waking up feeling cloudy and confused and someone tells you you've been out for 10 years. I've woken up in a hospital before, after surgery still groggy from the drugs. I can almost imagine the sounds of the hospital slowly fading in and getting more discernible.. realizing I must be in a hospital, not knowing why and then getting that news.. must have been earth shattering
How miraculous! It was like he was dead and came back for a quick visit. And the fact that he was so conscious. Remembering voices and people, amazing! He got to be with them for a year.
Absolutely. Brought me to tears, especially the parts about his son wanting to make him proud and the fact that he suffered another brain injury soon after. It really makes you realize how blessed we are to be alive.
I worked in a hospital for 10 years and I tell you all not to give on on your loved ones in a vegetative state too easily. I've seen so many recover in a matter of weeks after looking like there was no coming back, my own best friend included. The doctors said there was no bringing him back, the insurance company was telling his family they weren't going to pay for his care, but they didn't give up on him even if it meant going bankrupt and it paid off when he regained consciousness in couple weeks later.
@@ferrari2kunfortunately such a universal coverage regime here would likely take more decisions/options from you in such instances, and encourage suicide/euthanasia as is increasingly the case up north
It really sucks that he only got to wake back up for a short time, but in some ways it must have been a relief to know his family was doing well before he passed.
@@Pfsif Ah yes, we live in 1965 where women don't make up 50% of the workforce or something and are those stereotypical wAmEn that only exist to spend male spouse's money... sheesh. Just because this is touching loyalty you don't need to go around blabbering about how "women mooch off men", the only kind of women you're gonna end up getting with is the exact kind you're talking about. Self-fulfilling prophecy dude, quit nagging women you don't even know. Men mooch money if the lady is the breadwinner, even though typically married couples are equals if she's a career-minded woman that has a full-time job.
I feel so heart sick for this family. For his and for him. Poor man missing his entire family growing. I have tears down my face, I just wanna give them all a hug
Not sure how to feel about his passing. On one hand he could have passed without waking up and the family didn't get that year, but it almost feels even more cruel that he woke up and was taken away again.
Both opportunities had their blessings and curses, and like you, idk how to exactly feel about it either. It's incredible he woke up and was able to talk to his family again for the time he could, but it's also saddening he felt he committed abandonment. However, I feel like it was nice for him to wake up. I'm sure deep down he was happy to see them because, even if he felt like he abandoned them, they were still there for him; they forgave him, in his situation's sense, and he finally got to talk to his boys again after a decade that he didn't even feel like was a decade. It's saddening, but it's also a miracle he held on, as did his family. Idk, just my thoughts on it too
If I was his family I would just be glad he's no longer stuck in a hospital in his own mind all day I'd be glad he's able to actually watch over me and see what I have accomplished, I just hope they got the father's last wishes before he passed, I'd like to keep my parents with me when they go.
@bestwick1983 I felt the same way. So many layers to this onion. I hope the family had closure that they were able to tell and show him their love - and him to them - during the awakening...an opportunity they may not have had before the fire accident. I'm standing on that ❤️.
My dad passed a few years ago to pulmonary fibrosis. For a while I would have a dream where my dad would come home and he could breathe again and I would be so happy and ask him what heaven is like and everything. And the dream would always end with him struggling to breathe again and it was like reliving the experience every time. I like the feeling of being able to talk to my dad again but hate having to relive that
To him, it was less than a year of his life. He had the accident, and then little blips of consciousness here and there... then suddenly his family and friends and coworkers were 10 years in the future, he was blind and then just a little bit before he had another accident and passed. It’s not the fact that he wasn’t here for all 11 years, but that it was only a year to him knowing that it was 11 for others.
@no name I'd love to know more about your story if you could private message me cause I'm not religious either but I'm very intrigued by your statements here. Let me know thanks
@no name Unconscious perception only lasts a few seconds and it does not follow normal linear time perception, you can for example have 3 short stimulus over 5 days and then when awake piece it as a secuence, you kind of feel continuity but were really time lapsing. Normal "time perception" is derived from continuity of stimulus, you receive parallel stimuli in a secuence and order it following a flow, if you alter someones flow you can confound their time perception, there are very interesting studies about this. The out of body experience has been asociated with shock or damage to the inner ear which is related with equilibrium, I read about It because I had an experience and was curious.
This story brought tears to my eyes. I am so happy for his family, especially his kids, that they had this brief reunion with their dad. It is sad that he had another injury and passed away a year later.
Damn….. This has my eyes watering a lot…. The strength of love… you can tell he loved his family… he fought to come back & the first thing he asked was where’s his family & the second thing he asked was how long was I gone while hysterically crying because even while he was gone the thought of his family still was THERE!!! That’s because of LOVE!!!! 🖤🕊🙌🏽
@@arcticheroh Waiting for someone who never comes back is a waste imo. You don't have to stop loving them, but when it hits multiple years worth of time, it's probably better for you to move on.
This video always makes me cry. Knowing one minute you’re saving people and hoping to get back your kids after. Next, you see your kids into grown men. All that time, lost to you and you wonder what happened to your kids. The lives you never got to watch them grow into. Just heart breaking
@Crocs you literally have a free robux video in your channel with your first words being “What’s up everybody welcome back to another video!!!” Another? It’s the only one you have. Not to mention the loud music, honestly happy with it cause your voice was getting annoying. I now see that the video is four years old, so I can assume you were a little kid. Bro got ratioed on UA-cam Or HOW TO GET FREE ROBUX IN ROBLOX JUNE/JULY 2017 WORKING Which one looks like a little kid?
His family survived because of his wife. She's made him proud, he died knowing she loved him and she's the perfect mother. People should aspire to be someone like her.
@@based7900 So? Her husband was gone for 10 years she has wants just like every other human being you cant blame her, its not like she abandoned him either quite the opposite clearly
@@based7900 would you stick with someone who you didnt know if they would ever awaken? what if he didnt? then shed have wasted her possibly wonderful life
My Immigrant grandmother was in a home after a stroke. I visited one day,age 22, and she awoke,looked at me and in perfect unaccented English had a conversation with me. Amazing.
This is heart warming and heart breaking at the same time. I hate he only got 1 year after he woke up but at least GOD gave him a little more time with his family before taking him home.
The pain on his face when he was asking how long he had been gone....omg. That was just awful. Poor guy. And the way his life ended? I cant internet anymore today.
I feel the same. I was crying for joy so elated that he'd "woken" up then to continue watching and learning that he'd passed away. Oh my heart hurts for this man and his precious family.
Look at it another way. He died, then 10 years later had the chance to be around the people he loves, everyone got to hug and tell each other how much they love each other. Not many people get that chance
I can’t imagine that phone call. “He’s awake and asking for you”. I would have dropped everything where I was, be it work, school, the grocery store, in another country, and gotten there as fast as possible.
She is the real mvp. 10 years!? That man heart probably hit the floor when he realized he still had a wife after that. My wife and I have spoken about it before and AT MOST, we give each other 365 days unless some sort of drastic change happens to give us hope.
When they said he had an accident trying to get out of bed, that was like a punch in the gut. Dude's a fighter and a hero. My heart goes out to his family.
That broke my heart 😢💔 In the time that he was "awake", before his last accident, I hope that he experienced an immense amount of happiness. But most importantly, I pray that he was able to understand how deeply he was loved by his friends & family.
This man had a whole family and still was willing to risk his life to save others... wow, what a huge sacrifice for humanity at large. Very grateful for all you firefighters, policeman, EMT, and military for putting your one life on the line, so people like me can live at home.
It's not like he died just after he recovered from comatose, it's more like Life let him see his family one last time to see how strong they've grown before he was finally whisked away.
im in therapie bout same issue and it changed my life. im so happy i did this step, cause there are actually people out there that want to help and they can.
Many wonderful, heart-felt comments about Don. I felt so sad watching this but couldn't help feeling absolutely sad for the family. To have him back after 10 years only to lose him forever was a cruel blow. At least they all experienced great joy even though it was short.
“How long have I been gone?!” That hits different. Like he knew what happened and was desperately trying to get back to his wife and kids. RIP to this great man and all the blessings to his family.
I've been in a natural coma before, only a few days, but let me tell you, even when you know you're in a coma you can't really get out of it. It seems quite random, and I think if you never notice you're in a coma it's much less likely for you to wake up. My 3 days felt like 3 months, I figured out I was out about a month in as I (funnily enough) grew suspicious over the bad weather, it was relatively dark and cloudy permanently but never rained, but I've heard others say they've experienced it the other way around and e.g. 6 months felt like a week-long dream or that they just didn't experience anything, passed out only to wake up months or a year later without any recollection of experiences while in a coma. I'm assuming the man was part of the last group since he seemed to have no awareness at all how much time had passed after he last lost consciousness. It broke my heart when they said that he suffered another brain injury after falling while getting out of bed. Can't (or don't want to) imagine what he felt at that moment, or what his family went through. Still, I'm glad they got to talk to him one last time.
He wakes up after 10 years with a miracle.Tries to walk, falls gets another brain injury and dies after a year....Is this fate's sick joke or an oppurtunity to say goodbye? Edit: Thank you guys for all your likes and replies.
Tiffany They didn’t know he was going to wake up. They didn’t strap him down because they figured he would be in a coma permanently. After 10 years without moving, his muscles were probably deteriorated immensely. It would be shocking if he didn’t fall.
I am crying right now, my immediate thought is 'what a horrible way to go', but that isn't right, what I should be thinking is 'thank God I'm healthy and alive'.
I think it’s a relief for him and his family that he did have contact with them before the end came. It was just a life cut short but it certainly wasn’t a life wasted or a futile life, it was life that gave love to those he cared for and his life was just as important to his family. He never left them and they never left him. It was just stolen time by his injury. What I saw was like a man who in his mind was still 40, but was suddenly trapped in the body of a blind 80 year old, and it wasn’t his brain injury that got him, it was the frailty that led to his fall and pneumonia which is how so many old people sadly pass away. I just keep thinking like everything got thrown into fast forward for him, and his family were standing still compared. But nothing ever does stand still of course. I am really glad he knew that they were all still there and doing OK, and that they loved him. Much love to the family.
Being a career firefighter this is absolutely gut wrenching. Tragic final outcome, but thank God he was able to reawaken see his family and friends before God called him back.😭❤🇺🇸
Things happen. Everyone doesn't get to live forever. His family got the chance to spend time with his conscious self again. I suppose you're the type who only fathoms a great nothing after death. Soulless nihilism will leave you devoid of everything that gives life meaning. Have fun with that.
Having been through this with a family member …. The amazing neurologist simply said “the more I learn about the brain the less I know “ … some patients do recover perhaps not fully but the neurons just find different pathways . ❤️
He died with the memories that nobody gave up on him after all that time. He was there for birthdays and holidays and he has the pics to prove it. Those boys should know their dad is proud of them and the commitment from their mom will instill many wholesome values in their families!
“He died with the memories that nobody gave up on him after all that time.” Thanks I actually really needed that. What a bummer that he contracted ammonia it could’ve been so easily avoided
The sad part is that, yes, there were pics to prove he was there for birthdays and holidays. But he was blind and couldn’t see them. Those memories are for his wife and kids now. I’m glad they did that and maybe somewhere deep in his subconscious he knew what they did.
My godmother died. Her husband, a doctor, spent 6 hours trying to resuscitate her. His colleagues knew it was useless, but showed compassion by letting him try. She awoke as if nothing had changed. I have all the newspaper clippings. That was about 30 years ago.
My dad had a heart attack and was in a coma for a month. He woke up out of the coma with an anoxic brain injury. He was brought home to live with us for one year and 3 days! It was very hard to see him relearn to speak, walk, hold things. The day before he passed away he was doing everything by himself! I'm glad that we got to see him and spend some time with him before he went home! RIP dad!
I’m overwhelmed at the devotion of his wife but even more so at the fact that this man’s tragedy was caused by him sacrificing his own well being as a fire fighter. In a way I’m reminded of last October when my dad was battling cancer and said to us one day “I’m dying.” And said his peace to us. His throat so swollen he could no longer eat or drink, his left eye blind and cocked to the side. It’s horrifying to see your loved one suffer to terribly. My heart goes out to his family. If there’s a heaven I hope him and my dad got to meet.
That's heavy. Sorry for your loss. My parents are in their 60s now. My Mom is in assisted living, having spent the majority of the last 8 or 9 years involuntarily committed. ECT and anti-psychotics would work for a week or two, then the mom I grew up with would recede back into her mind and the glossy eyed, scared, paranoid person I've come to know would take over. She's gone already. My dad is the first male of his name to live past 65 in like 5 generations. Each year i age it seems like life is a lot more... procedural I guess? Depressing to think about. And death only gets more terrifying to me. Here's to hoping I'm right at that sweet spot of having advances in medicine outpace our life cycle. I'll take an Altered Carbon style future for sure.
My father was killed in 1981, my mother missed him terribly. I took care of her for the last 3 years of her life. She was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic and liver cancer. She never smoked nor did she ever drink. When time came to say goodbye I was devastated at the pain she was going through. She all the sudden sat up in bed, pointed her finger, and said Bobby?, Bobby? BOBBY!!!! (My father's name) then she smiled, laid back down and she was gone..
@@rogertalley7944 I'm sure that was shocking for you but hopefully comforting too. I believe your Dad's spirit came to escort her home. God bless you for taking good care of your Mom throughout her tough journey 🙏
@@d.r.3362 You are absolutely correct. I know in my heart that my father was there to help my mother into paradise. That's why although I truly love people and this world, I am not afraid to die because I know what awaits on the other side. God bless and thank you for your kind words.
@@kikusui8881 even if it is true, can you blame her? Her husband was gone for ten years and she is a living person, not an angel or a saint. She didn't abandon him anyways
My god. Don was a strong, determined man. I thought my coma was long 😢 After I came out of the coma, a week after regaining conciousness and lucidity, I went into a frozen state unable to move, only blink(It came on over ten hour period I felt my responses shutting down). I came out after a week, it was hard to know why. But I was in there, I think people thought I wasn't. Well I know, they looked at me and said 'we know you are in there' but I knew they didn't believe it. That week was frustrating and awful. Yet my time of paralysis post coma was nothing compared to this man. Don Herbert, what a brave strong man, rest in peace and freedom.
I feel so heartbroken for him, the wife and kids. The way he broke down crying made me want to hug him so much. I can’t imagine how awful it would be to wake up and find you missed 10 years of your life and your kids had grown up. Then to be blind and confined to a chair struggling to speak. If it were me, I would have just wanted to go.
I imagine he felt the same a time or two.... geeze... only to have it happen again and then pass away less than a year later. How horrible. A hero firefighter. I have known so many people in my life and have heard of people that should go through this... this man would not, in any way, be one that should.
@@pasaesballard3601 glad you're out of the wheel chair bro. Sometimes I think about what If i were in your position. I dont even know if I'm strong enough but you know you are more than strong because you went through it.
Gosh that hit me so hard that the father was so sad that he lost a lot of time, especially hearing the youngest son all grown up. I hope that he is well now on the other side, and actually being able to visit his family spiritually by their side even though the family can't see him he will always be there by their side 😇❤️❤️❤️
You are all lucky to have that short time with husband/ dad. Sorry for your loss. I wish you all GOOD LUCK and Long lives. Thanks for telling your story.
So this ruined my day. Jesus. My heart goes out to this guy. I’m not an emotional man but I teared up immediately when he asked how long he was gone. Christ that’s depressing. At least he got to hold his boys one more time and they got to speak to their dad again.
Same man I was so happy when they said he woke back up then bam gone. Can’t imagine how hard that was in his family. This man was a absolute hero for his work and a damn trooper for having a body that didn’t give up.
@@mikeicee we spend money or throw away enough tax money that cost shouldn’t matter he was a professional hero those that risk it all to help and save strangers in need should be given every chance to have life themselves
That’s not ok or fair to say. The family did NOT let him go, in my opinion. If they did, he would not have been kept alive for 10 years…. Kind of a messed up thing to say.
This is an absolutely unbelievable story. I cannot fathom going to sleep for a decade and coming back and actually having a conscious state of mind with memory and alertness while being in a different world.
It would be soul crushing, and it would be so damn impossible to cope, I feel for him and that pain so much. I pray he is free from all that pain and ache now.
This feels like a sick joke. Like someone just played everyone and thought it was funny. I don't know what to feel. He died because he fell off the bed... after 10 years of being in a coma. It's so sad
@@music0cool well if God did exist then and there's life after death it would be enternal... think about the word eternal for a bit compared to this guys suffering on earth. Just a thought and definitely not trying to preach any religion! Peace without suffering FOREVER lol
I'm happy to hear that he got the chance to listen to his family, and know he didn't abandon anyone. I'm sorry to read that he passed away after falling and receiving another brain injury. That poor family. Losing him after all those years of waiting. At least they got the chance to see him, even if for a little while.
I can’t imagine the pain of waking up and talking to your fully grown son when you only knew him as a little boy. It would be incredibly confusing and hard to not blame yourself
Imagine how much it took Simon to say: "10 years" Seems like a loving friend. I'm glad this hero had all of these amazing people there to give him the love he deserved.
agreed. you can almost feel how hesitant he is to say anything that may cause more grief for his friend. I don't think Simon really wanted Don to know how long he was comatose, but being a true friend, he knew an ugly truth would outweigh a pretty lie.
@@sabrinatscha2554 when we see something that upsets us, we can use it as fuel to drive us to brainstorm, work on and improve similar situations for other people! I
@@melissasaint3283 Neurologists should be doing more experiments with the Sleep Drug, AMBIEN. There's videos on UA-cam, of patients in vegetative states, coming out of it, after ingesting crushed Ambien.
His death is not even sad, it actually makes me mad, how he woke up after 10 years JUST TO DIE SOON AFTER, from a fall that is not depressing that actually boils my blood, may he rest in piece, and his family is at least lucky to have spoken to him one last time
Honestly, is that not the epitome of cruel world? How and why did this happen, I'm finding comfort in the fact that his family did get to spend even a little bit more time with him
@@skylarberry3754 I think him waking up and dying is not cruel. If anything, his family could finally have closure and he could finally be put to rest after so many years, and having that moment probably meant so much to that family.
10 years.
10 years, guys.
Just imagine waking up tomorrow, and it's 2031
Amen we are so blessed! Thank you Jesus for giving me another cognitive day!
i don't wanna imagine that
Lol.. that's kinda scary.
And Covid-19 is still here
@@yourstruly4817 once a virus is unleashed, it's hard to eradicate it. I only know of smallpox...
“She brought him to holidays and birthdays” ... that woman truly loves that man.
I think an episode from House is based on this!
So true as awful as it sounds that family would have benefited from his passing but she wasn't letting him go ❤️
@@Hellhorde. Have you asked them that? They look so happy.
@@rsd2871 *bored of life. Yeah in the show, he was conscious the whole time but couldn't react. Which could rly happen.
In this story, he really was unconscious/ unaware. Luckier that way, I think.
@Star Sea uh that baby was probably a family members baby or maybe one of his sons. Don’t assume the wife cheated when you know nothing
The fact that he felt so sad because he felt like he abandoned his family, not because he's missed so much of the world's changes, speaks so much about him. I bet he was an amazing father and husband while he had the chance. RIP.
What a beautiful story. Rest In Peace hero.
How do you know what he felt?
@@Maha-hr3ql Literally on the video
@@Maha-hr3ql LOL Did you've even watch the video?
It says he was distraught over missing his children growing up.
Even though it's not explicitly stated, I believe it's a mixture of both.
Life is bittersweet. Survived the fire, survived the brain trauma but died just trying to do something many of us take for granted. Heart wrenching.
Yep
Hmmm
If this was the end would be depressing. But we are here as a test for eternity. Jesus has a paradise waiting for those who accept him as savior
@@user-ou1ok7fd8t not helpful
@@user-ou1ok7fd8tbut Jesus prayed to God?
@@user-ou1ok7fd8tamén brother
She stayed with him for a decade. She never gave up on him. That’s a true wife🥺
Did you mean loyal? I don’t think you get to decide whether someone is truly a woman or not based on their actions.
@@rayluby6659 ._.
Loyal*
@@rayluby6659 I think they just meant that’s a good wife but idrk. Also I don’t mean to go full Twitter idiot on here but technically she identifies as a woman so I think they just meant since she’s loyal to her personal beliefs and loyal to her husband she’s a “true woman”
@@rayluby6659 imagine getting offended on behalf of others
Him falling out of bed and suffering another brain injury is just so sad. He didn’t deserve that at all.
I hate that part so much.
it's very sad, then he died from pneumonia rough
@@tropingreenhorn If there is a god, he failed this man. I’m glad he, at the least, was able to talk to his family one more time before it ended..
@@enlargedquack I don't mean to go to deep but that's why it's hard for me to believe. Why did this man and this family half to suffer like this?
In the Cocoanut Grove fire, a serviceman ran in 4x to save his blind date. Didn't make it out last time. Worst burned person to survive at that time (over 50%). He's a medical miracle and goes on tour. Married one of his nurses and 10 years later, driving in a jeep in Missouri, it flips and he's burned to death.
How's that one for unfair?
I think something that people are missing is the fact this poor man wakes up to learn he's BLIND then learns he's been gone for 10 years. That's so brutal.
Omg... I missed that fact. I re watched it and it turns out to be even more heartbreaking 😔😔😔
More like mideval torture!!!
Not just blind, but it looks like he was missing parts - some digits, possibly? And he was effectively crippled from muscular atrophy, too. It must have been beyond hellish. Poor man.
Makes me wonder what's better: this or euthanasia. Thankfully I don't have to answer
That and the people around him were laughing.
I can tell you one thing. That’d be the greatest memory I’d die with. Real friends and family still holding out for you after 10 years. Real family right there.
It’s there unconscious instincts that developed evolutionary in the meaning of surviving and reproducing. They don’t have a choice to act different really because unconditional love and affection to close friends and family was necessary. In the end it’s nothing to be proud of from an independent point of view because the only reason for them to act like they do is to ensure that they exist by themselves and reproduce
Cool but you don't keep memory after dying.
@@alreawon1212And? Dying while knowing everyone around you loved you so much and we're there for you even if waking up seemed impossible...it'd be a truly amazing feeling
Why would you try and downplay something like this?
@@weebtrash108 You can't keep memory without a brain. A brain is responsible for this.
@@alreawon1212 brah we know wtf are you on, relax your need to have reason.
His wife is a real one. She held the family DOWN for a decade.
For real....
Exactly! God bless her.
What a sad story...
Those words strike truer than most the minds who find this comment will experience, whether they consciously realize it or not. It is one subjective experience connecting with another's through similar experience. This is what beauty is.
And then for the rest of their lives as the dad died after hitting his head again shortly after he was back.....
No hate but you know there are single mothers who raise adults
If this were a movie, it’s one of those endings I would never forgive the writers for.
Why? I enjoy an unhappy ending every now and then. Hollywood is all "ride off into the sunset". It's gotten way too predictable. I mean movies, of course. This is still a tragedy.
@@KM-ub1sh I definitely like tragic endings in movies because they stand out and draw a lot of emotions out of me but I would still rant about it for years to come
Oh, thats true! 😭🏳️🌈🇵🇭
It'd be an ending this man gave; not writers. Think about something else besides yourself bruh..jesus..
The Awakenings (Robert de Niro and Robin Williams) a must watch
This is honestly amazing. How we understand these types of injuries change. There’s always hope honestly
i admire you.
As someone who works in medical critical care unit, I can tell you that 98% of the time there generally isnt any hope. Time and time again I have seen families trach and peg their loved one and send them out to long term care facilities. There really isnt any quality of life.
@@wingwongsingsongif you wanna make people feel bad, tell them theres no hope, you're a bad person
💯
The thing is, we really don't understand how these kinds of brain injuries progress and heal. We have a vague understanding, but how the brain rewires itself is dynamic, parts that were isolated can be reconnected, or might remain isolated until the day the person dies. Studies in that area are ongoing, but we're decades away from having the kind of comprehensive knowledge required to develop therapies. It's not impossible, but for now people in these states are at the mercy of what might as well be random chance for all we can tell.
I had a similar experience with my grandfather. He was in a coma for several months at a rehab/nursing home. I would visit him a few times per week, where I just sat next to him hoping that he would be able to sense I was there trying to comfort him…
Then one day when I walked into his room his eyes were open, and he was looking around. I was astounded! For several months his eyes were closed, he couldn’t talk or move his arms or legs. And now he was looking straight at me, while moving his legs back and forth and periodically shifting his arms.
He snapped out of his coma for one day, and then the very next day he slipped into a coma again until he passed away a couple of months later.
But during that one day when he awoke from the coma, it was such an amazingly profound experience. My grandpa was a gentle, soft spoken man, who was very kind. He wasn’t much of a talker, and his style of thought was very pragmatic based and without much pondering or creative musings. But during that one day when he snapped out of his coma, he spoke in a very philosophical manner. I was amazed, because it was so uncharacteristic of him. I could almost tangibly sense that my grandpa’s consciousness had transcended where it had been for the previous 77 years of his life. In our conversation we talked about life, about different paths of personal and spiritual development, and he told me numerous times to “keep my eyes clear.” I didn’t know exactly what he meant by that at the time… but interestingly enough, as life has taken big twists and turns in the ~15 years since his passing, that phrase has taken on a greater and clearer meaning.
… there is definitely much more to consciousness than science currently suspects.
That's an amazing story, your grandfather is a great person, and I agree on your view about consciousness, there's still a lot more that science can't explain.
Beautiful story thanks for sharing it with us 💕
Thanks for sharing that. I’ll take his message to you as a lesson for my own life.
That's beautiful. That's a great experience to have with him. ❤️
What did he mean by the eyes thing, its so cryptic. Like knowledge from the other side
"How long have I been gone."
Never in my life have I heard something so scary.
Devastatingly sad more like it. Poor man was heartbroken 😖💔
i even feel don't want 1 day pass from me but I don't want static either. I want 1 day is 100 hours and I life 100 years or more
Imagine waking up one day to find out ten years had passed
@@aurora8749 can’t even fathom the emotion
@@aurora8749 the Pink Floyd song "time" poses that same scenario. Those lyrics kinda hit a different chord after watching this. Terribly sad.
Imagine waking up and 10 years had passed. That would be absolutely terrifying.
Ye. Unimaginable tbh would be absolutely petrifying
I think if I lost 10 years.... I think I would just want to go back to sleep at that point.
I'd look if Star Citizen has hit alpha 4.0 by then
@@archiet2205 v
.
My brother had suffered from a drug overdose in '08 that had left him in a coma and vegetable state. He couldnt walk, talk, was hooked up to a feeding tube to survive. We were told he wouldn't ever pull through and was told to basically just give up on him. Of course we couldnt do that he is our blood and family. We had him moved from the hospital to a rehabilitation center called Kessler where little by little he started to get a little better. Idk how familiar people are with comas but there are different stages. My brother was slowly waking out of it but still couldnt walk on his own or even put sentences together. He got frustrated and agitated and tired very easily. He stayed in Kessler for a little over a year. Then one day a miracle!! And it just so happend to be on Mothers Day. My mother and i went to go vist my brother. We wheeled him in his wheelchair into the dining area and all of a sudden he just snapped out of it, looked around and said "where am i!?" His doctors where so baffled by what had happened! It just goes to show the brain is a powerful thing! Today my brother is married and just had a son a little over a year ago! He had to learn how to walk, talk, feed and bath himself all over again. If you have a loved one that has been in a horrific accident and is in a coma, DONT give up on them!! I remember sitting next to my brother everyday after work/school playing his favorite music, playing snowboarding videos for him, showing him pictures of his dream star crush mila kunas and reminiscing of all the fun things we used to do together. There where a lot of stressful and painful moments watching him go through what he went though but i think having his loved ones around helped a lot! Prayers and love for the ones in comas and the families and friends that are sticking by their loved ones side.
Video + your comment got me boobin like a baby. As happy as I can be for a stranger I am for you and your fam. What a cool story, does he have any lasting disabilities and how long was he out?
What an inspiring story! The power of your love and determination brought him back.
@@jaw3964 ❤️❤️ he walks a little off now thats the only thing! It's amazing how the brain works! the support he had with our family and the support from all the kind people at the rehab center he was at (Kessler) from the physical therapist, doctors and hands on nursing staff they all did such an excellent job helping us help my brother pull through! There is so much hope!
@@jroko33 I got a bad head injury playing football. I only remember bits for about a week after it happened. When I came back around it was almost as if my brain had reset and rerouted around certain parts of my brain. I still had all the memories from before, but it's almost as they belonged to someone else. Id think about things I'd done and be like "I could never do that now" I got anxiety and some other traits I'd never had before overnight. I adjusted and adapted and worked on those things, everything turned out just fine. The brain is such a strange thing, I always love hearing about things like this, we really don't know much about the brain in the big scheme.
Great family. God bless you. 🙏
Simon is what you call a brother from another mother. Guy has a heart of gold.
Imagine that, being asleep for 10 years and dying a year later. That’s the scariest and saddest thing I could experience.
It’s appalling to me that he would be left in a state where he could have died from a fall given he was comatose for 10 years.
You won't be scared when your dead!
@@Tsukuyomi28 but he probably was aware that he would die, It wasn't and instant death
How he dies?
Oh NVM I finished the video
I think that I would rather be asleep for 10 years and then waking up for a year to give my family some hope and peace before passing away rather than just being asleep for 11 years and passing away silently without even having any time left with them at all
That's probably the saddest thing I've ever seen. To be physically present, but mentally gone for 10 years, only to wake up for a brief moment and then lose it all over again. At least he got to talk to his family one last time.
Yea that was difficult to watch. Being a dad my self.
Right I have 4 kids and just full on sobbed at work. Just felt everything he felt knowing I had missed out on a decade of his kids lives and seeing his sons react. It’s almost like he woke up just to give them that chance to connect again. Tragic 🥺
so awful, you can see how badly it destroyed him. at least he got that final chance to see his family though, many in the same situation as him would love to have that
Yeah, he didn't Even was available to watch them. . There was a huge chance to feel them, but he was summerged in a dark world for the rest of his days.
If told my partner if something like this ever happens to me that after 6 months she is to turn off all the machines and let me die in peace. I don’t want to be fed through a tube and kept alive by machines while completely unconscious for 10 years with no guarantee I’ll ever wake up. Before medical machinery to feed people through tubes these people would have died in very soon after falling asleep.
that’s devastating, what a hero what a great father, what a true man
he didn't really do anything but being unconcious...? what the mum and the rest of the family did is far more heroic and impressive.
@@imamessbutitsfine2377 He was a firefighter and was injured at a scene while saving people's lives. I think that qualifies him as a hero.
@@imamessbutitsfine2377 you apparently don't know what a hero means
@@imamessbutitsfine2377 he was a firefighter. Who are you? You're pathetic
This literally feels like something currently happening in my life now. My stepfather was in a really bad accident in early December of last year, he was revived and went into a coma and then gradually went to a minimally conscious state, which he has been in for the past 5 months, he lives in a nursing home now and there is no sign of recovery for him just like the guy in this video. I empathize with the kids really hard right now, and while it would be a dream to even be able to hear him speak at all and for a "miracle" like in this video, I know this is a very rare case, unfortunately.
Hope always dies last
I think that when the decline happens post wake up, the brain may just be slightly 'powering down' to save energy and try to repair itself. Kinda how a plant has to be trimmed in order to properly direct it's energy to produce more leaves and flowers. There was a boy born with pretty much no brain and as he got older his brain developed itself! No one expected it at all. I'm no doctor though.
I'm so sorry you have to go through that. I really hope you'll have a happy ending, stay strong
I was watching another documentary with a similar story and they just made sure someone was spending time with her on a daily basis, touching her hand, massaging her arm, to make her feel something, as well as playing music for her since the vibrations of sound can cause the skin or muscle to vibrate, not enough for us to be able to see. They also worked on activating her senses, like bringing in somethings for her to smell like lavender, rosemary etc. Eventually she woke up and she remembered all those things
im trying to figure out who asked
What a sad ending. His wife stayed with him for 10 years while he was in a coma and kept raising the boys. Wow.
They don't make em like that anymore.
At least he got to see his family grow up even for for a short amount of time.
That is what real marriage is about.
@@EyesSewnShut def do
@@EyesSewnShut they dont
The fact that he just died a year later by an accident is brutal and very strange that it's so little talked of in the video.
I know! It was so shocking to me but glossed over
Atleast he got to meet everybody. That simple high does of postive serotonin in his body from feeling of love to be with his family after 10 years was indeed good and better then having been living 10 years in coma and simply dying in his sleep. 🙏
@@words007 What serotonin? He's mortified and guilty he's been gone 10 years, not to mention he realizes he's blind and can't see them either. That cry of terror is not comforted by being surrounded by his family 10 years later
mans just had to add positive serotonin into their comment huh
Its hard treating someone with a brain injury who can be impulsive and fall at any minute. So unfortunate, wish he could have had more time since he had to wait so long
Imagine waking up feeling cloudy and confused and someone tells you you've been out for 10 years. I've woken up in a hospital before, after surgery still groggy from the drugs. I can almost imagine the sounds of the hospital slowly fading in and getting more discernible.. realizing I must be in a hospital, not knowing why and then getting that news.. must have been earth shattering
How miraculous! It was like he was dead and came back for a quick visit. And the fact that he was so conscious. Remembering voices and people, amazing!
He got to be with them for a year.
Seems more like torture to me…
She took her wedding vows seriously...and wow his boys look just like him
This should be the norm. If you don't mean them, don't get married.
@@kcoker9189 dude facts
@@kcoker9189 absolutely...I wish more people thought like that
Absolutely. Brought me to tears, especially the parts about his son wanting to make him proud and the fact that he suffered another brain injury soon after. It really makes you realize how blessed we are to be alive.
Amen
Let's not forget that this man is an absolute hero for risking his life as a firefighter. Much respect
He didn't risk his life, he gave his life 😔
Yaaaaay for doing your job.....horaaaaay civil servants with hero complexes 🙄
Ryan started the fire
@@chukhu4669 it was always burning
@@iaintafraidofnoghosts7135 We get it, you never got the promotion to main burger flipper at McDonald's.
I worked in a hospital for 10 years and I tell you all not to give on on your loved ones in a vegetative state too easily. I've seen so many recover in a matter of weeks after looking like there was no coming back, my own best friend included. The doctors said there was no bringing him back, the insurance company was telling his family they weren't going to pay for his care, but they didn't give up on him even if it meant going bankrupt and it paid off when he regained consciousness in couple weeks later.
It never stops to amaze me how people cannot work tirelessly to change such a system with no real healthcare to get this coverage for everyone...
What have you done? Why haven't you done it? There you go now you know why.@@ferrari2k
@@ferrari2kunfortunately such a universal coverage regime here would likely take more decisions/options from you in such instances, and encourage suicide/euthanasia as is increasingly the case up north
@@dreamcorenot really true, we see patients suffering each and everyday that are full codes because of families being selfish
@@yolandapaulino5952 Exactly.
He did everything possible and impossible to come back and say his goodbyes to the loved ones.
Truly inspiring!
It really sucks that he only got to wake back up for a short time, but in some ways it must have been a relief to know his family was doing well before he passed.
Word
word
Word
Word
Word
His wife is a real, honorable, respectful and beautiful woman. She did not leave him no matter what.
That’s what spouses do. Being loyal, being compassionate and showing some patience.
If your future spouses don’t have that, well I can’t help you. Lol
@@youllseemeallovertheintern3682 your head is pin
@@dae1925 let him learn how hard loyalty is to come by lol
Many woman split if the guy loses his job.
@@Pfsif Ah yes, we live in 1965 where women don't make up 50% of the workforce or something and are those stereotypical wAmEn that only exist to spend male spouse's money... sheesh.
Just because this is touching loyalty you don't need to go around blabbering about how "women mooch off men", the only kind of women you're gonna end up getting with is the exact kind you're talking about. Self-fulfilling prophecy dude, quit nagging women you don't even know. Men mooch money if the lady is the breadwinner, even though typically married couples are equals if she's a career-minded woman that has a full-time job.
The saddest thing that he passed away just 1 year later after coma
I feel so heart sick for this family. For his and for him. Poor man missing his entire family growing. I have tears down my face, I just wanna give them all a hug
Not sure how to feel about his passing. On one hand he could have passed without waking up and the family didn't get that year, but it almost feels even more cruel that he woke up and was taken away again.
Both opportunities had their blessings and curses, and like you, idk how to exactly feel about it either. It's incredible he woke up and was able to talk to his family again for the time he could, but it's also saddening he felt he committed abandonment. However, I feel like it was nice for him to wake up.
I'm sure deep down he was happy to see them because, even if he felt like he abandoned them, they were still there for him; they forgave him, in his situation's sense, and he finally got to talk to his boys again after a decade that he didn't even feel like was a decade. It's saddening, but it's also a miracle he held on, as did his family. Idk, just my thoughts on it too
If I was his family I would just be glad he's no longer stuck in a hospital in his own mind all day I'd be glad he's able to actually watch over me and see what I have accomplished, I just hope they got the father's last wishes before he passed, I'd like to keep my parents with me when they go.
@bestwick1983 I felt the same way. So many layers to this onion. I hope the family had closure that they were able to tell and show him their love - and him to them - during the awakening...an opportunity they may not have had before the fire accident. I'm standing on that ❤️.
Na, the family would have given anything for 1 more day, it's definitely a good thing they got a year.
It was a time for them to say goodbye. Whether they knew it or not.
Don isn’t just a man who woke up from a coma. He is a hero and a father.
Fr
He’s also your mom
@@thundathyse7124 among us
sus amogus
@@CarrotGarrett no more among us 🇨🇳
Oh my God I am crying so hard right now. When he asked how long was I gone it tore me up and I started balling my eyes out.
This is just so sad, life is sometimes so harsh, this man seems so innocent and pure, fly high Herbert
That is quite possibly one of the most horrifying ways to leave this world.
This is an evil world. Why would anyone want to stay, when there's a greater hope to live on the other side.
@@backfromthedead553 wrong
@@backfromthedead553 Very true... yet many of us are still not ready to go and try to hold on to this world.
@@backfromthedead553 Any proof of an other side? Dudnt think so.....do you believe in Santa claus too? Lol at you...
It’s like irving’s rip van winkle but the good guy dies at the end
He survived a horrific accident, a ten year coma and then passed away. He was not just a fire fighter, he was a life fighter.
i think death fighter would be a better term to use, since, life fighter is, yeah
This man is why I support the thin red line and donate to fire stations when they have a boot drive.
🤔
@@robertg6339 I agree also. Could be fate or wrong doing. Makes you think 🤔
And lost
That hug from Simon got me. That's some moment right there. A hug you never want to end
What a blessing to come bk & let his family know he loved them so much. What a miracle ♥️
I thought losing people was bad...
Losing them twice must be devastating.
3 times
My dad passed a few years ago to pulmonary fibrosis. For a while I would have a dream where my dad would come home and he could breathe again and I would be so happy and ask him what heaven is like and everything. And the dream would always end with him struggling to breathe again and it was like reliving the experience every time. I like the feeling of being able to talk to my dad again but hate having to relive that
Lost my dad to suicide. Not the same thing but it’s the same hurt. The hurt wil never go away.
@@MajorK99 he bodied himself cuzur abitch lol
@@joeybonzo7135 yeah appreciate it man thanks
That is hands down possibly the shittest last 11 years of someone's life I've ever heard
Except the moment he got to talk to his family! Damn that's sad!!
to him it wasn’t 11 years but rather an instant
To him, it was less than a year of his life. He had the accident, and then little blips of consciousness here and there... then suddenly his family and friends and coworkers were 10 years in the future, he was blind and then just a little bit before he had another accident and passed. It’s not the fact that he wasn’t here for all 11 years, but that it was only a year to him knowing that it was 11 for others.
@no name I'd love to know more about your story if you could private message me cause I'm not religious either but I'm very intrigued by your statements here. Let me know thanks
@no name Unconscious perception only lasts a few seconds and it does not follow normal linear time perception, you can for example have 3 short stimulus over 5 days and then when awake piece it as a secuence, you kind of feel continuity but were really time lapsing. Normal "time perception" is derived from continuity of stimulus, you receive parallel stimuli in a secuence and order it following a flow, if you alter someones flow you can confound their time perception, there are very interesting studies about this. The out of body experience has been asociated with shock or damage to the inner ear which is related with equilibrium, I read about It because I had an experience and was curious.
This story brought tears to my eyes. I am so happy for his family, especially his kids, that they had this brief reunion with their dad. It is sad that he had another injury and passed away a year later.
Damn….. This has my eyes watering a lot…. The strength of love… you can tell he loved his family… he fought to come back & the first thing he asked was where’s his family & the second thing he asked was how long was I gone while hysterically crying because even while he was gone the thought of his family still was THERE!!! That’s because of LOVE!!!! 🖤🕊🙌🏽
That wife of his really took her wedding vows seriously. That is awesome. That commitment and loyalty are a testament of true love.
Very sad that we are so far gone, the past 4 generations have been taught that divorce is always an option, as a result vows are not taken seriously
@@WEEZlUS Divorce is always an option. Toxic relationships sometimes can’t be fixed.
Imagine if he hadn't awoken, and she just wasted the rest of her life waiting.
@@The13thMaker depends on what you consider a waste of your life. I'd take care of my wife if this ever happened.
@@arcticheroh Waiting for someone who never comes back is a waste imo. You don't have to stop loving them, but when it hits multiple years worth of time, it's probably better for you to move on.
This is touching in every sense. What a family, what a man.
This video always makes me cry. Knowing one minute you’re saving people and hoping to get back your kids after. Next, you see your kids into grown men. All that time, lost to you and you wonder what happened to your kids. The lives you never got to watch them grow into. Just heart breaking
Can we just acknowledge what an incredibly strong woman she is for dealing with all these kids on her own and still taking care of her husband?
No
Bro got ratioed on UA-cam
@Crocs cry
@Crocs you literally have a free robux video in your channel with your first words being “What’s up everybody welcome back to another video!!!” Another? It’s the only one you have. Not to mention the loud music, honestly happy with it cause your voice was getting annoying. I now see that the video is four years old, so I can assume you were a little kid.
Bro got ratioed on UA-cam
Or
HOW TO GET FREE ROBUX IN ROBLOX JUNE/JULY 2017 WORKING
Which one looks like a little kid?
@Crocs RATI OMEGALUL
His family survived because of his wife. She's made him proud, he died knowing she loved him and she's the perfect mother. People should aspire to be someone like her.
The father and mother are very honorable.
She loved him my backside! She had multiple affairs.
@@based7900 So? Her husband was gone for 10 years she has wants just like every other human being you cant blame her, its not like she abandoned him either quite the opposite clearly
@@based7900 would you stick with someone who you didnt know if they would ever awaken? what if he didnt? then shed have wasted her possibly wonderful life
@@whill3278 not being with someone doesnt waste your life
My Immigrant grandmother was in a home after a stroke. I visited one day,age 22, and she awoke,looked at me and in perfect unaccented English had a conversation with me. Amazing.
This is heart warming and heart breaking at the same time. I hate he only got 1 year after he woke up but at least GOD gave him a little more time with his family before taking him home.
You know that feeling when you wake up from a nap and it’s the middle of the night? Imagine that 1000x
Jesus. That's perspective.
Jesus
Hmmm...that's only 3+ yrs
It would actually be 3650x more
Sometimes I fall asleep and wake up like that and being confused
The pain on his face when he was asking how long he had been gone....omg. That was just awful. Poor guy. And the way his life ended? I cant internet anymore today.
😇
I feel the same. I was crying for joy so elated that he'd "woken" up then to continue watching and learning that he'd passed away. Oh my heart hurts for this man and his precious family.
Look at it another way. He died, then 10 years later had the chance to be around the people he loves, everyone got to hug and tell each other how much they love each other.
Not many people get that chance
Same.
*"And then he fell over and died.."*
😳
I can’t imagine that phone call. “He’s awake and asking for you”. I would have dropped everything where I was, be it work, school, the grocery store, in another country, and gotten there as fast as possible.
So sad, I was almost at tears with this. Prayers for this family. 😔
I hope his wife has found peace at last. She's raised a beautiful family.
She passed away?
He died a year after.
😊👍☺️☮️♥️
@@tryyggger35744rrtt 'has found peace at last' can suggest she passed away
She is the real mvp. 10 years!? That man heart probably hit the floor when he realized he still had a wife after that.
My wife and I have spoken about it before and AT MOST, we give each other 365 days unless some sort of drastic change happens to give us hope.
When they said he had an accident trying to get out of bed, that was like a punch in the gut. Dude's a fighter and a hero. My heart goes out to his family.
Yeah no kidding right when things started to look better then bam! That came out of nowhere
That broke my heart 😢💔 In the time that he was "awake", before his last accident, I hope that he experienced an immense amount of happiness. But most importantly, I pray that he was able to understand how deeply he was loved by his friends & family.
If there's a God, he failed this man
Hopplar where’s your name from? I like it.
@@SuperLaziboi why?
What a blessing to hear your family again after such a ordeal
This man had a whole family and still was willing to risk his life to save others... wow, what a huge sacrifice for humanity at large. Very grateful for all you firefighters, policeman, EMT, and military for putting your one life on the line, so people like me can live at home.
It's not like he died just after he recovered from comatose, it's more like Life let him see his family one last time to see how strong they've grown before he was finally whisked away.
Poor choice of words
@@filmislife77 How?
@@lostpoet3940 he was blind when he woke up
@@filmislife77 life let him smell them one last time before he was whisked away
"See" isn't the best way to describe it
Laying in bed already depressed
UA-cam: hey look at this
Hope you feel better soon
Get off UA-cam. Go outside
Like fr I was already sad about the story of The Way by Fastball this morning
im in therapie bout same issue and it changed my life. im so happy i did this step, cause there are actually people out there that want to help and they can.
We not alone atleast
I remember seeing this two days after my 17th birthday. Was great to see the kids talk to their dad I'm very glad I get to talk to mine daily.
Many wonderful, heart-felt comments about Don. I felt so sad watching this but couldn't help feeling absolutely sad for the family. To have him back after 10 years only to lose him forever was a cruel blow. At least they all experienced great joy even though it was short.
“How long have I been gone?!”
That hits different. Like he knew what happened and was desperately trying to get back to his wife and kids. RIP to this great man and all the blessings to his family.
@@SomeOne-yf3qq not funny kid
@@SomeOne-yf3qq not funny man
@@SomeOne-yf3qq Not cool dude.
I've been in a natural coma before, only a few days, but let me tell you, even when you know you're in a coma you can't really get out of it. It seems quite random, and I think if you never notice you're in a coma it's much less likely for you to wake up. My 3 days felt like 3 months, I figured out I was out about a month in as I (funnily enough) grew suspicious over the bad weather, it was relatively dark and cloudy permanently but never rained, but I've heard others say they've experienced it the other way around and e.g. 6 months felt like a week-long dream or that they just didn't experience anything, passed out only to wake up months or a year later without any recollection of experiences while in a coma.
I'm assuming the man was part of the last group since he seemed to have no awareness at all how much time had passed after he last lost consciousness.
It broke my heart when they said that he suffered another brain injury after falling while getting out of bed. Can't (or don't want to) imagine what he felt at that moment, or what his family went through. Still, I'm glad they got to talk to him one last time.
@@alexander-mauricemillamlae4567 thank you for sharing that with us
He wakes up after 10 years with a miracle.Tries to walk, falls gets another brain injury and dies after a year....Is this fate's sick joke or an oppurtunity to say goodbye?
Edit: Thank you guys for all your likes and replies.
poor guy couldnt catch a god damn break
That seems like hospital negligence
Tiffany They didn’t know he was going to wake up. They didn’t strap him down because they figured he would be in a coma permanently. After 10 years without moving, his muscles were probably deteriorated immensely. It would be shocking if he didn’t fall.
I am crying right now, my immediate thought is 'what a horrible way to go', but that isn't right, what I should be thinking is 'thank God I'm healthy and alive'.
@@nicholasjarrett4480 And his was blind. But mybe they dropped him during some activity and lied
I think it’s a relief for him and his family that he did have contact with them before the end came. It was just a life cut short but it certainly wasn’t a life wasted or a futile life, it was life that gave love to those he cared for and his life was just as important to his family. He never left them and they never left him. It was just stolen time by his injury. What I saw was like a man who in his mind was still 40, but was suddenly trapped in the body of a blind 80 year old, and it wasn’t his brain injury that got him, it was the frailty that led to his fall and pneumonia which is how so many old people sadly pass away. I just keep thinking like everything got thrown into fast forward for him, and his family were standing still compared. But nothing ever does stand still of course. I am really glad he knew that they were all still there and doing OK, and that they loved him. Much love to the family.
This is heartbreaking and terrific at the same time
The pain in his face and voice when he realized he was gone for quite some time. That is heartbreaking.
had ro resists crying. poor guy
The fact that he was aware of the impact of being gone tells us something about the brain! 🥰
@@niketapechan876 ?
@@nam3ey it speaks to the power connections our brain can store.
When the firefighter in red shirt started crying hugging him. That got me. “10 years buddy”
Tears all over
Mimewar ... yep that broke me... you hear his anguished "oh my God" sobs after he hears it's been 10 years...
Being a career firefighter this is absolutely gut wrenching. Tragic final outcome, but thank God he was able to reawaken see his family and friends before God called him back.😭❤🇺🇸
he came back just for say hello a last time what a legend . rest in peace grand monsieur
I almost cried seeing him talking first time
He is a real hero
Yeah same here, I teared up. Just all the emotions he and his friends and family must have been going through.
The real hero is the mother. Staying by him, making sure he was always around their sons, raising the sons for them both...
Im glad his kids got some time with him etc. But damn if that isn't sad dude smh rip don
That pore man prison in his own body
I did a little bit. You can hear the peril in his voice when he realizes his life has dwindled away.
I wish that man had had a chance to enjoy life again with his family
He wasn't even a 100% back when he left again
I think God gave him the ability & the time to say goodbye to his wife & family before ultimately taking him to heaven.
@@jeromedaniels4976 Why not?
@@TheTinLion Instead of, you know, letting him to continue living. "Infinite mercy" my foot.
I know it’s selfish but I lost someone and wish could’ve had even one more day. Hope there’s Heaven for the good and deserving
Things happen. Everyone doesn't get to live forever. His family got the chance to spend time with his conscious self again. I suppose you're the type who only fathoms a great nothing after death. Soulless nihilism will leave you devoid of everything that gives life meaning.
Have fun with that.
I am glad God granted this beautiful man to spend time with his family . I am sorry to hear he passed but God loved him more.
Having been through this with a family member …. The amazing neurologist simply said “the more I learn about the brain the less I know “ … some patients do recover perhaps not fully but the neurons just find different pathways . ❤️
'How long have i gone?' - break my heart.
😭😭😭😭😭
😭💔
He died with the memories that nobody gave up on him after all that time.
He was there for birthdays and holidays and he has the pics to prove it.
Those boys should know their dad is proud of them and the commitment from their mom will instill many wholesome values in their families!
Beautiful comment
“He died with the memories that nobody gave up on him after all that time.”
Thanks I actually really needed that. What a bummer that he contracted ammonia it could’ve been so easily avoided
The sad part is that, yes, there were pics to prove he was there for birthdays and holidays. But he was blind and couldn’t see them. Those memories are for his wife and kids now. I’m glad they did that and maybe somewhere deep in his subconscious he knew what they did.
What kept him alive was pure LOVE of his dear family... He was a hero and beloved by his wife and children...Great family!!!
@@sabrinatscha2554 pneumonia
All of his boys look just like him! 🥺
Yeah, just like their dad 👨
This is heartbreaking, makes me cry every time I watch, God bless this family
He didn't bless Don, so why would he bless the family?
I thought it was humorous
My godmother died. Her husband, a doctor, spent 6 hours trying to resuscitate her. His colleagues knew it was useless, but showed compassion by letting him try. She awoke as if nothing had changed. I have all the newspaper clippings. That was about 30 years ago.
It wasn't her time to go....miracles can happen! Thank God!!
I dont understand...
Your story is interesting but written in a confusing way.
@@JuanMendoza-qd5lm She technically died then was resuscitated. It is indeed worded a bit confusingly.
Wow that's incredible!
What was her name and where did it happen? I would like to read about it
My dad had a heart attack and was in a coma for a month. He woke up out of the coma with an anoxic brain injury. He was brought home to live with us for one year and 3 days! It was very hard to see him relearn to speak, walk, hold things. The day before he passed away he was doing everything by himself! I'm glad that we got to see him and spend some time with him before he went home! RIP dad!
May he rest well.
hey! god bless man
Rip
Parents are truly a blessing
Sounds like he fought the best fight he could've fought. May he rest in total peacefulness.
I can't even imagine! Blessings for his family!
Don, you're quite an incredible father and man. I don't know anyone who I could truly consider a hero but you.
I’m overwhelmed at the devotion of his wife but even more so at the fact that this man’s tragedy was caused by him sacrificing his own well being as a fire fighter. In a way I’m reminded of last October when my dad was battling cancer and said to us one day “I’m dying.” And said his peace to us. His throat so swollen he could no longer eat or drink, his left eye blind and cocked to the side. It’s horrifying to see your loved one suffer to terribly. My heart goes out to his family. If there’s a heaven I hope him and my dad got to meet.
That's heavy. Sorry for your loss. My parents are in their 60s now. My Mom is in assisted living, having spent the majority of the last 8 or 9 years involuntarily committed. ECT and anti-psychotics would work for a week or two, then the mom I grew up with would recede back into her mind and the glossy eyed, scared, paranoid person I've come to know would take over. She's gone already. My dad is the first male of his name to live past 65 in like 5 generations.
Each year i age it seems like life is a lot more... procedural I guess? Depressing to think about. And death only gets more terrifying to me. Here's to hoping I'm right at that sweet spot of having advances in medicine outpace our life cycle. I'll take an Altered Carbon style future for sure.
Do you mind me asking what kind of cancer he had?
My father was killed in 1981, my mother missed him terribly. I took care of her for the last 3 years of her life. She was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic and liver cancer. She never smoked nor did she ever drink. When time came to say goodbye I was devastated at the pain she was going through. She all the sudden sat up in bed, pointed her finger, and said Bobby?, Bobby? BOBBY!!!! (My father's name) then she smiled, laid back down and she was gone..
@@rogertalley7944 I'm sure that was shocking for you but hopefully comforting too. I believe your Dad's spirit came to escort her home. God bless you for taking good care of your Mom throughout her tough journey 🙏
@@d.r.3362 You are absolutely correct. I know in my heart that my father was there to help my mother into paradise. That's why although I truly love people and this world, I am not afraid to die because I know what awaits on the other side. God bless and thank you for your kind words.
His wife is a queen. She held the family together for a decade while he was fighting in his own mind. Amazing people.
I heard she cheated on him with a few different men.
@@kikusui8881 even if it is true, can you blame her? Her husband was gone for ten years and she is a living person, not an angel or a saint. She didn't abandon him anyways
@@kikusui8881 of course you did😑
@@user-cp1ku6kr6z true she’s a hero
You do know single mother’s exist, right? That’s not a reason to cheat on people.
If you ever think you have it bad in life, just remember this guy.
My god. Don was a strong, determined man. I thought my coma was long 😢 After I came out of the coma, a week after regaining conciousness and lucidity, I went into a frozen state unable to move, only blink(It came on over ten hour period I felt my responses shutting down). I came out after a week, it was hard to know why. But I was in there, I think people thought I wasn't. Well I know, they looked at me and said 'we know you are in there' but I knew they didn't believe it. That week was frustrating and awful. Yet my time of paralysis post coma was nothing compared to this man. Don Herbert, what a brave strong man, rest in peace and freedom.
He said how long have I been gone… glad he wasn’t there trapped inside his mind and fully aware of it for 10 years… that would have been awful.
How do ye know what he experienced in those ten years? Be ye psychic? (Ye do have blue hair after all).
@@lex3729?
@@lex3729 weird vibe from you
@@Lewdisu y’know ye gettn a weird “vibe” frum ye t00
@@sebihuerta5308 I'm getting a weird vibe from me? What written language is this?
I feel so heartbroken for him, the wife and kids. The way he broke down crying made me want to hug him so much. I can’t imagine how awful it would be to wake up and find you missed 10 years of your life and your kids had grown up. Then to be blind and confined to a chair struggling to speak.
If it were me, I would have just wanted to go.
I was in a wheelchair for two years ,sad to say it crossed my mind.
This is making me cry!!!!
I imagine he felt the same a time or two.... geeze... only to have it happen again and then pass away less than a year later. How horrible. A hero firefighter. I have known so many people in my life and have heard of people that should go through this... this man would not, in any way, be one that should.
He died not much longer after he woke up
@@pasaesballard3601 glad you're out of the wheel chair bro. Sometimes I think about what If i were in your position. I dont even know if I'm strong enough but you know you are more than strong because you went through it.
Gosh that hit me so hard that the father was so sad that he lost a lot of time, especially hearing the youngest son all grown up. I hope that he is well now on the other side, and actually being able to visit his family spiritually by their side even though the family can't see him he will always be there by their side 😇❤️❤️❤️
You are all lucky to have that short time with husband/ dad. Sorry for your loss. I wish you all GOOD LUCK and Long lives. Thanks for telling your story.
So this ruined my day. Jesus. My heart goes out to this guy. I’m not an emotional man but I teared up immediately when he asked how long he was gone. Christ that’s depressing. At least he got to hold his boys one more time and they got to speak to their dad again.
Same, the moment his friend said ,,10 buddy, 10years“ it almost broke my heart
Same man I was so happy when they said he woke back up then bam gone. Can’t imagine how hard that was in his family. This man was a absolute hero for his work and a damn trooper for having a body that didn’t give up.
At first I thought you were praying for him. Then I realized you just think it’s hip to use the Lords name in vain. Not cool man, not cool.
@@STARRANISE-cv5qt Get over yourself.
@@STARRANISE-cv5qt no worries there is no such thing like a lord or a god😂
The whole family never let him go and he came back for them. That’s what counts. Heart goes out to them all 2021.
Perhaps he woke to let them know it was time to let him go either way god is good and that hurt my heart
More like the US taxpayer never gave up.
@@mikeicee we spend money or throw away enough tax money that cost shouldn’t matter he was a professional hero those that risk it all to help and save strangers in need should be given every chance to have life themselves
@@Stoptheliars I agree, its a sad story. He was good man.
That’s not ok or fair to say. The family did NOT let him go, in my opinion. If they did, he would not have been kept alive for 10 years…. Kind of a messed up thing to say.
This is an absolutely unbelievable story. I cannot fathom going to sleep for a decade and coming back and actually having a conscious state of mind with memory and alertness while being in a different world.
As a husband and father, I feel his pain for feeling like he abandoned them. The feeling would be overwhelming.
Yeah man I agreed with you there
Would have wished I had just died instead. This is too sad for me. They don’t even show if he was able catch up with the time.
It would be soul crushing, and it would be so damn impossible to cope, I feel for him and that pain so much. I pray he is free from all that pain and ache now.
@@hunter5822 same. There should’ve been much better counseling done with the family. What happened was honestly an abomination
This feels like a sick joke. Like someone just played everyone and thought it was funny. I don't know what to feel. He died because he fell off the bed... after 10 years of being in a coma. It's so sad
Another one of god’s sick jokes
@@music0cool well if God did exist then and there's life after death it would be enternal... think about the word eternal for a bit compared to this guys suffering on earth. Just a thought and definitely not trying to preach any religion! Peace without suffering FOREVER lol
@@music0cool You strike me as an athiest
@@andyfreeman6865 What gave it away? Lol
@@music0cool It was his wife that kept him hooked up to machines
I'm happy to hear that he got the chance to listen to his family, and know he didn't abandon anyone. I'm sorry to read that he passed away after falling and receiving another brain injury. That poor family. Losing him after all those years of waiting.
At least they got the chance to see him, even if for a little while.
I can’t imagine the pain of waking up and talking to your fully grown son when you only knew him as a little boy. It would be incredibly confusing and hard to not blame yourself
Imagine how much it took Simon to say: "10 years"
Seems like a loving friend. I'm glad this hero had all of these amazing people there to give him the love he deserved.
agreed. you can almost feel how hesitant he is to say anything that may cause more grief for his friend. I don't think Simon really wanted Don to know how long he was comatose, but being a true friend, he knew an ugly truth would outweigh a pretty lie.
What really bums me out is that his death could’ve been avoided so easily. I wish I hadn’t watched this video
@@sabrinatscha2554 when we see something that upsets us, we can use it as fuel to drive us to brainstorm, work on and improve similar situations for other people!
I
@@melissasaint3283 Neurologists should be doing more experiments with the Sleep Drug, AMBIEN.
There's videos on UA-cam, of patients in vegetative states, coming out of it, after ingesting crushed Ambien.
@@thomastucker3764 Exactly, that's why he said "10..... 10 years".
His death is not even sad, it actually makes me mad, how he woke up after 10 years JUST TO DIE SOON AFTER, from a fall that is not depressing that actually boils my blood, may he rest in piece, and his family is at least lucky to have spoken to him one last time
Honestly, is that not the epitome of cruel world? How and why did this happen, I'm finding comfort in the fact that his family did get to spend even a little bit more time with him
Yes, I became very upset by that... not just sad but angry because how cruel of a fate 😤💔
My feelings exactly! So horrible
@@skylarberry3754 I think him waking up and dying is not cruel. If anything, his family could finally have closure and he could finally be put to rest after so many years, and having that moment probably meant so much to that family.
@@melekalikimaka1038 I think there's room for both.