The longest coma, or a whole life without consciousness. Comatose state and cases of prolonged stay in it. Help How long did the longest coma last?

Coma, comatose state (from the Greek koma - deep sleep, drowsiness) is a life-threatening condition characterized by loss of consciousness, a sharp weakening or lack of response to external stimuli, extinction of reflexes until they completely disappear, disturbance of the depth and frequency of breathing, changes in vascular tone, increased or slowed heart rate, impaired temperature regulation.

Coma develops as a result of deep inhibition in the cerebral cortex with its spread to the subcortex and underlying parts of the central nervous system due to acute circulatory disorders in the brain, head injuries, inflammation (with encephalitis, meningitis, malaria), as well as as a result of poisoning (barbiturates, carbon monoxide, etc.), with diabetes mellitus, uremia, hepatitis. In this case, disturbances in the acid-base balance in the nervous tissue, oxygen starvation, ion exchange disorders and energy starvation of nerve cells occur.

Coma is preceded by a precomatous state, during which the above symptoms develop.

The comatose state lasts from several hours to several days, less often - more; in this it differs from fainting, which does not last long (from 1 to 15 minutes) and, as a rule, is caused by sudden anemia of the brain.

It is often difficult to identify the cause of a coma. The rate of development of the disease is important. The sudden development of coma is characteristic of vascular disorders (cerebral stroke). A coma develops relatively slowly with brain damage of an infectious nature. Symptoms of a coma with endogenous intoxications - diabetic, hepatic, renal coma - grow much more slowly.

Recovery from a comatose state under the influence of treatment is characterized by a gradual restoration of the functions of the central nervous system, usually in the reverse order of their inhibition. First, corneal (corneal) reflexes appear, then pupillary reflexes, and the degree of autonomic disorders decreases. Restoration of consciousness goes through the stages of stupor, confusion, sometimes delirium and hallucinations are noted. Often, during the period of recovery from a coma, there is a sharp motor restlessness with chaotic discoordinated movements against the background of a stunned state; convulsive seizures followed by a twilight state are possible.

Cases of recovery from coma after long stay.

IN June 2003 39 year old US resident Terry Wallis came to his senses after being in a coma for 19 years. Terry Wallis fell into a coma after a car accident in July 1984, when he was 19 years old. All these years Terry Wallis was under the supervision of doctors from rehabilitation center Stone County. In 2001, he began communicating with relatives and hospital staff using rudimentary signs, and on June 13, 2003, he spoke for the first time. Terry Wallis is paralyzed and uses a wheelchair.

In 2006, Terry Wallis still needed help eating, but his speech continued to improve and he could count to 25 consistently.

IN June 2003 resident of China Jin Meihua I woke up from the coma I had been in for the last four and a half years. She suffered a severe brain injury after falling off her bicycle. Due to the severity of the injuries, doctors did not feed great hopes to cure Jean. All these years, her husband was next to Jin Meihua, caring for and caring for his wife.

January 21, 2004 The media reported that a patient who had been in a coma for a year and a half regained consciousness at the Al-Salam International Hospital in Cairo. A 25-year-old Syrian was involved in a car accident in Lebanon in 2002. From the severe head injuries he received, he fell into a coma, his heart stopped several times, and the patient was connected to an artificial respiration unit. He was first treated at an American hospital in Beirut, and then he was transported to Cairo, where he underwent a series of neurosurgical operations. Having regained consciousness, the Syrian was able to move his arms and stand, understand speech and began to try to speak himself. This is a very rare case in medical practice when a patient with such severe injuries survived a prolonged coma and came to his senses.

IN April 2005 American firefighter 43 years old Don Herbert(Don Herbert) came out of a 10-year coma. Herbert fell into a coma in 1995. While extinguishing the fire, the roof of a burning building collapsed on him. After the oxygen in the breathing apparatus ran out, Herbert spent 12 minutes under the rubble without air, which resulted in a coma. In February 2006, Don Herbert died of pneumonia.

June 2, 2007 the media reported that a resident of Poland is a 65-year-old railway worker Jan Grzebski(Jan Grzebski) came to his senses after being in a coma for 19 years. In 1988, Grzebski was seriously injured in an accident on railway. According to doctors, he had no more than three years to live. That same year, a 46-year-old Pole fell into a coma. For 19 years, Grzebski's wife was at her husband's bedside every hour, changing the position of his body to prevent muscle atrophy and the spread of infections. Having regained consciousness, the Pole learned that now all four of his children were married and that he now had 11 granddaughters and grandchildren.

Unlike how it is portrayed in many movies and TV shows, coma is serious illness. Most people who end up in a coma remain there for a few weeks, but there are cases where a person is stuck in this state for many months or even years. How longer person is in a coma, the less likely he is to get out of it. While the time spent in a coma may vary, the stories of many people who have gone through the ordeal are particularly remarkable.

10. Sam Carter

In 2008, 60-year-old Sam Carter fell into a coma due to severe anemia. He remained in this state for three days. He was saved by his wife, who decided to play the song “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” by the Rolling Stones in his room. To everyone’s surprise, as soon as the song started playing, Sam came to his senses. According to him, it gave him strength. This song was special to him, it was the first single he purchased at the age of 17.

9. Sarah Thomson


In 2012, 32-year-old Sarah Thomson was left in a coma after a blood clot entered her brain. She remained in this state for 10 days. When she came to her senses, it seemed to Sarah as if it was 1998, and she herself was 19 years old. She didn't recognize her children and husband (who came into her life later), and thought she was dating someone else. Fortunately, everything ended well, and after a while Sarah fell in love with her husband again.

8. Ben McMahon, Sandra Ralic and Michael Boatwright


Australian Ben McMahon was in a car accident in 2012, as a result of which he spent about a week in a coma. Shortly before this, he was studying Chinese and French, although I could not yet communicate freely on them. To the surprise of those around him, when he came to his senses, Ben spoke Chinese. It was the only language in which he could communicate. A few years later, English returned to him. Ben now lives in Shanghai, where he spends a lot of time on local TV shows. Oddly enough, Ben is not the only one to whom this happened. 13-year-old Sandra Ralic from Croatia was studying German when fate sent her into a coma for 24 hours. Returning to life, the girl understood and spoke only German. Michael Boatwright became the third person to experience a similar effect. After waking up from his coma, he began speaking Swedish and claimed that his real name was Johan Ek. Several years ago he lived in Sweden, but then returned to California permanently.

7. Fred Hersch


Fred Hersch is a renowned and respected pianist who moved to New York City in 1977 at the age of 21. In the 90s, he was diagnosed with AIDS, and in 2008 he fell into a coma due to mass withdrawal, where he stayed for two months. After emerging from a coma, he spent 10 months in bed, and then began to work on himself and even practice playing the piano. By 2010, he was back on stage, and based on eight dreams he had while in a coma, he even wrote his own 90-minute concert entitled “My Coma Dreams.”

6. Jarrett Carland


On August 16, 2009, 17-year-old Jarrett Carland was involved in a car accident that left him in a coma. The doctors' forecasts were the saddest, but his parents did not give up and even ordered a course of music therapy for their son. But the therapy was not quite ordinary, instead of quiet and calm music, which is usually played in such situations, Jarrett's parents insisted that he be played songs by Charlie Daniels, a country legend. After 4 months in a coma, Jarrett began to respond to music, and eventually came out of the coma.

5. Jan Grzebski


In 1988, while working on the railroad, Jan Grzebski suffered a serious head injury. He spent 19 years in a coma under the constant attention and care of his wife. In the end, he came to his senses, and what a shock he was when he learned that there was no longer communism in Poland, and he himself already had 11 grandchildren!

4. Gary Dockery


On September 17, 1988, Gary Dockery was 33 when he and another Walden, Tennessee police officer responded to a call. On that fateful day, Gary was shot in the head. To save Gary, doctors had to remove 20% of his brain. After the operation, Gary lay in a coma for seven years. He came to his senses when members of his family, standing in his room, were deciding what to do with him next: continue to care for him or let him die.

3. Sarah Scantlin


In 1984, Sarah Scantlin was a popular and attractive college freshman. On September 21, she was hit by a car, Sarah was thrown to the side, her skull was crushed, then she was run over by another car. She was still alive when she was taken to hospital with extensive head injuries. Sarah spent about a month in a coma. In April 1985, she was transferred to a care center for the disabled. All she could do was feed through a tube and blink. She spent 16 years in this state, after which one of the center’s workers decided to help her learn to communicate. Four years of daily training were not in vain; on January 12, 2005, Sarah was able to utter her first word since the disaster.

2. Terry Wallis


In July 1984, 19-year-old Terry Wallis fell into a coma. His wife took care of him for 19 years. On June 11, 2003, Terry tried to speak for the first time since then. He gradually came to his senses, but was sure that very little time had passed, and Ronald Reagan was now in power in the United States. Doctors still don't know why he came out of his coma. This is another one of incomprehensible mysteries human nature.

1. Hayley Putre


From the age of 4, Hayley lived in her aunt's house because her mother was deprived parental rights. In 2005, when she was 11 years old, Hayley was hospitalized with multiple head injuries after being beaten by her adoptive parents. The injuries were too severe, and the girl fell into a coma. She remained in this state until 2008, when local authorities decided to remove her from life support. That same day, Hayley came to her senses.

A famous song says: “There is only a moment between the past and the future.” It is called our life. But what if a person spends this “moment” unconscious? Is it worth holding on to in this case? No one will give an exact answer to this question. However, there are cases when a person was between life and death for decades and grabbed at this “moment”. Let's talk about the longest comas a person has been in.

A dream of a lifetime

The longest coma was recorded in the USA. At the end of 1969, under New Year, a 16-year-old girl with pneumonia was admitted to the hospital. If this were an ordinary case in medical practice, she would have undergone treatment and returned to a full life. But Edward O'Bara suffered from diabetes. On January 3, insulin did not reach circulatory system, and the girl on long years lost consciousness.

The last phrase of the modern “Snow White” was a request to her mother not to leave her. The woman kept her word: she spent thirty-five years at her daughter’s bedside. She celebrated all her birthdays, read books to her and believed in the best. I only left to sleep and shower. In 2008, the mother died, and the sister of an unusual patient took on her burden.

In November 2012, at the age of 59, Snow White died. Thus, the longest coma lasted 42 years.

It is noteworthy that the poor thing spent all her unconscious years with her eyes open. She did not see or hear those around her, did not react to anything. Edward O'Baras could close his eyelids only on the day of his death.

Is there a chance to wake up after many years?

Until recently, doctors were sure that only the first month was between life and death. Then his return to consciousness is impossible. Some relatives of patients were not happy with this situation, and they waited at the bedside for years loved one until he wakes up.

The longest coma, after which the patient began to react to others, lasted 20 years. This is how many years American Sarah Scantlin spent unconscious after she was hit by a drunk driver. To be precise, she spent 16 years unconscious. After which she began to communicate with loved ones using her eyes. After another 4 years, some reflexes and speech returned to her. True, after waking up, Sarah sincerely believed that she was still 18 years old.

In fact, the longest coma after which a person woke up happened to a resident of Poland, Jan Grzebski. The Pole spent 19 years unconscious. When Ian woke up, he was most amazed at the number and range of goods in the stores. And for good reason. He “fell asleep” in the early eighties, when martial law was introduced in the country. Grzebski woke up in 2007.

Cases in Russia and Ukraine

In these countries there are also cases of miraculous returns to life. Thus, Russian teenager Valera Narozhnigo came to his senses after 2.5 years of deep sleep. A 15-year-old boy found himself in a coma after receiving an electric shock.

A Ukrainian young man, Kostya Shalamaga, spent 2 years unconscious. He ended up in a hospital bed after the accident. A 14-year-old boy riding a bicycle was hit by a car.

Of course, both of these examples cannot earn a place in the Guinness Book of Records in the “Longest Coma” category. But the parents probably didn’t want the boys to become famous in this way. In both cases, loved ones say that the miracle happened because the relatives prayed and believed in it.

Life after a “long sleep”

The longest coma from which a person emerged forced scientists to return to the study of this unconscious state. It is now known that the brain can repair itself. True, it is not yet clear how to “turn on” this mechanism.

African researchers believe a cure for coma may be found. According to them, it is possible to temporarily bring a person to consciousness today. Some sleeping pills have such properties. However, this issue has been little studied.

So far, according to observers, the hardest thing for a person who has been between life and death is psychological adaptation. It is difficult for the patient to believe that he has become older, his relatives have aged, his children have grown up, and the world itself has become different.

Some people, after returning from deep sleep, simply do not understand their loved ones. So, for example, the Englishwoman Linda Walker, upon waking up, began speaking in the Jamaican dialect. Doctors believe the case is related to genetic memory. Perhaps Linda's ancestors were native speakers of this language.

Why do people fall into comas?

It is still not clear why some people fall into this state. But each case suggests that some kind of deviation has occurred in the body.

Currently, more than 30 types of coma are known:

• traumatic (road accident, bruise);
• thermal (hypothermia, overheating);
• toxic (alcohol, drugs);
• endocrine (diabetes), etc.

Any kind of deep sleep is a dangerous state between life and death. Inhibition occurs in the cerebral cortex, the functioning of the nervous system and blood circulation is disrupted. A person's reflexes fade away. It looks more like a plant.

Previously, it was believed that in a coma a person does not feel anything. Everything changed after the incident with Martin Pistorius. The young man fell into a coma due to a sore throat and lived in it for 12 years. After awakening in 2000, Martin said that he felt and understood everything, he just could not give a signal. Currently, the man is married and works as a designer.

Hyperglycemic coma, symptoms and emergency care

Diabetic coma should be classified as a separate category. It was there that the first heroine of our article spent 42 years. The main thing is that at the initial stage of this disease, a person can be helped.

When the body with diabetes mellitus increases the level of glucose in the blood and toxins accumulate, then the symptoms of the disease develop as follows:

• weakness increases;
• constantly thirsty;
• loss of appetite;
• there is a frequent urge to go to the toilet;
• drowsiness increases;
• the skin turns red;
• breathing quickens.

Following these symptoms, a person may lose consciousness, go into a coma, and die. To prevent this from happening, you need to urgently administer insulin intravenously or intramuscularly. And also call an ambulance.

The main thing is not to confuse this type with hypoglycemia. With the latter disease, blood sugar drops in the blood. In this case, insulin will only do harm.

Her mother, Katherine, remembered that day perfectly all her life - firstly, it was the 22nd wedding anniversary of her and Edward’s father, and secondly, her daughter, just before oblivion, managed to ask her mother not to leave her.

Eduard O'Bar photograph

And anxious days began for Eduarda’s parents. They all expected that their daughter would come out of the coma, but days passed, then weeks, then months, and Eduarda continued to be in a state of sleep.

No one knew then that this would be the longest coma in the history of medicine, which would last 42 years. And then the girl’s parents stood by her bed day and night, turned her over to prevent bedsores, fed her through a tube and did not take their eyes off the machines, waiting every minute for a miraculous awakening.

Eduard O'Bar photograph

Alas, Eduarda was destined to become the record holder for remaining in a comatose state. Keeping her promise, the mother continued to take care of her, and in order to pay the hospital bills, the girl’s father had to work three jobs. But they still hoped, and in the end they kept their promise, not abandoning their daughter for the rest of their lives. So, first, Eduarda’s father died in 1976, and in 2008, Katherine died, leaving Eduarda in the care of her younger sister.

But Eduarda’s fragile life continued, many media outlets had already written about it, and people who nicknamed Eduarda Sleeping Snow White began to come to Katherine’s family home. It was reminiscent of a pilgrimage, as many believed that touching the sleeping Eduarda would bring health and good luck.

Eduard O'Bar photograph

Eduarda O'Bara lived to be 59 years old and died in 2012, having spent 42 long years in a coma.

IN different time There were heated debates about the humanity of such life support, but for Katherine, who devoted 35 years of her life to caring for her daughter, the question was never raised in this way. Firstly, she was bound by the promise she made to her seriously ill daughter many years ago, and secondly, all these years both she and her husband lived in the hope that the coma would end sooner or later, and their Eduarda would be with them again . However, she was with them - Katherine read aloud to her, played music records for her, organized her birthdays, and did everything as if her daughter was just laying down to sleep. As time has shown, it was a very long dream, lasting more than four decades.

Eduard O'Bar photograph

A book was written based on the family's history, and many celebrities and politicians visited Katherine's house, including Bill Clinton; The media covered this story widely. And Eduarda O'Bara went down in medical history by spending 42 years in a diabetic coma.

Best of the day

Translated from ancient Greek, the word “coma” means deep sleep. In this state, a person undergoes physiological decline, loses reactions and reflexes, but continues to breathe and live.

Often the coma ends in the death of the patient. But sometimes miracles happen and awakening occurs. The longest coma in the world with awakening lasted almost 19 years. This case changed the opinions of doctors about the comatose state and gives hope to many people.

It all happened in Stone County, Arkansas. On July 13, 1984, a young farmer and auto mechanic, Terry Wallis, who was 20 years old at the time (born April 7, 1964), decided to go for a ride with his friend Chub Lowell in a pickup truck. The car had an accident and fell from the bridge from a height of almost 8 meters.

The pickup truck was found lying on its roof in a dry river bed. Rescuers rescued Terry, who suffered a head injury and was already in a coma, as well as Csab, who had a serious spinal injury, and died a week later.

All internal organs and Terry's bones were intact. He received only minor bruises and, most importantly, a small abrasion above his eyebrow. It is likely that it was this blow that led the guy to a comatose state.

• A young farmer and auto mechanic before the tragedy.
• 
  With his wife Sandy.
• 
  Touching photo Terry is in a coma, along with his daughter, who less than a year. He will only be able to communicate with her when she is 20 years old.
• 
  With his wife (left) and daughter (right).

Staying in a coma

Following the accident, Terry was admitted to a local hospital. The doctors gave him a chance and said that if he woke up within a year, then the likelihood of continuing a normal life was quite high.

But Terry did not come to his senses. Not in a year, not in five years, not even in fifteen.

His parents Angela and Jerry Wallis continued to believe in miracles. They went into serious debt to pay for their son's life support. They did not lose heart, even though the doctors were already giving disappointing forecasts.

Keeping Terry alive cost about $30,000 a month. He was denied medical insurance. The Terry Wallis Foundation was created, but only raised about $1,000.

4 months before the tragedy he had a wedding. And 6 weeks before the accident, Terry gave birth to a daughter, who was named Amber. His wife Sandy remained faithful to him for three years his stay in a coma. But then she married another man and gave birth to three more children.

Terry's parents did not condemn Sandy, but characterized her with bad side. Sendy explained her departure by saying that Amber needed a father, and she herself was not ready to sacrifice her youth for the sake of the insignificant chance of her husband’s recovery.

Meanwhile, Terry's parents and other relatives continued to support him in every possible way. They read books to him, turned on radio programs, and talked to him. On every holiday, everyone gathered together in his room, fed holiday dishes(grinded in a blender), gave him gifts, which they laid out on his bed, and rolled him around the hospital.

Almost 19 years passed like this.

Coming out of a coma

On June 11, 2003, Angela Wallis was perhaps even happier than when she gave birth to her Terry, because on that day he came out of his coma. All his relatives had been waiting for this for 18 years, 10 months and 28 days. This is how long the longest coma in the world lasted with awakening.

Terry Wallis woke up. He had not seen the world for almost 19 years. He recognized his parents, was surprised when they told him that he was married, but then he remembered that he had a daughter, who, of course, last time I saw it only in infancy.

When Amber came to him, he told her that she was not his daughter, since his daughter was 1.5 months old, and an adult girl was sitting in front of him. But later he realized the time had passed. Parents showed photos of Amber in different years. Later, he told his daughter that he must get well in order to come up and hug her, and also that he regrets that he did not see with his own eyes how she grows up.

Although Terry Wallis was conscious and able to communicate, he suffered from amnesia. He remembered only the most impressive moments of his life. He could listen to a tune he had recently heard (he liked country music) again, as if he was hearing it for the first time. From past life he remembered how he was doing housework on the farm, and also some time before the fateful trip, he remembered how he was getting ready to go. After waking up, Terry could not move; he could only turn his head in one direction.

In addition, after emerging from a coma, Terry lost all tact in conversation and could directly tell a person what he thought about him, he forgot how to lie. So, one day he told a nurse at the hospital that he thought she was sexy and would like to make love to her.

• 
  Photo with his mother Angela, who looked after him in a coma and after waking up.
• 
  Terry Wallis is in a coma.
• 
  The mother devotes every free minute to her son.
• 
  Grandson, granddaughter, daughter and Terry himself.
• 
  Angela Wallis heroically persevered throughout the 19 years.
• 
  Mother and father.
• 
  Terry Wallis' brother and other relatives prepare to be interviewed.
• 
  Sandy, wife. In the foreground family photo and marriage certificate.

Wallis lost the ability to feel full. Therefore, it was necessary to feed him strictly in doses. He could not understand that he had already eaten enough, for which he could feel resentment towards his family, since he believed that he was underfed. Despite a sedentary lifestyle and good nutrition, he did not gain weight.

After the coma, he began to have a negative attitude towards bad habits scolded relatives for cigarettes and alcohol. Angela believed that her son communicated with angels during a coma and therefore became so correct (and also could not lie). He himself said that he was very happy to live and life is the most beautiful thing.

Terry Wallis became famous. His ex-wife Sandy tried to take custody of him through the courts to make money, his parents said, but they remained guardians. He starred in documentaries"Bodyshock" (2003) and "Coma" 2007. His story has become the subject of study for many doctors.

• The longest coma in the world with awakening was that of Terry Wallis and lasted 18 years, 10 months and 28 days, from July 13, 1984 to June 11, 2003. Terry was in a car accident.
• July 13, 1984 - the day of the Terry Wallis tragedy, it was Friday the 13th.
• In some media, probably for dramatic reasons, they indicate July 13, 2013 as the date of awakening, in order to later write that he woke up exactly on the day when he crashed his car. But the correct date for Terry's awakening is June 11, 2003.
• Three years after the onset of the coma, his wife married another man, having a three-year-old daughter with Terry.
• Some sources indicate that Wallis and his friend were drunk at the time of the accident. But relatives claim that the guys did not drink alcohol that evening. They probably could have hidden this fact so as not to spoil their reputation.
• Some media reported that Terry's daughter became a stripper. It is not true. Amber has a family - a husband, children and has always led a decent lifestyle.
• Relatives created the Terry Wallis Foundation, which raised only about $1,000, while it cost about $30,000 a month to maintain life.
• When he woke up, he asked for mineral water.
• As of 2018, nothing is known about Terry or his family.
• In fact, the longest coma in the world was that of Eduardo O'Bara and lasted 42 years. When the girl was 16 years old, she fell into a diabetic coma and died at the age of 59 without ever waking up.

Reasons for leaving their coma

Experts are inclined to believe that Wallis came out of a coma due to the fact that his brain built the previous nerve pathways that were destroyed due to injury. This allowed him to partially regain consciousness. However, he was unable to completely improve his condition.

Some also claim that Terry's brain contains new neural pathways that are not found in other people's brains.

Terry Wallis now

As of the end of 2018, unfortunately, no data could be found on Terry Wallis. It is unknown whether he is alive, and if so, what is the state of his health. The fate of his relatives is also unknown.