The longest coma after which a person came out. The longest coma after which a person woke up

A 59-year-old woman who spent almost her entire adult life in an unconscious state. We are talking about Edward O'Bara, who was once nicknamed "Sleeping Snow White" by the media.

At the age of 16, O'Bara fell into a diabetic coma and hasn't "woken up" for 42 years since. It is noteworthy that Eduarda's eyes were constantly open, but there was no consciousness: she did not hear others, did not see them and was unable to perceive them in any way. the world.

Last words O'Bara before the coma, there was a request to the mother. "Promise you won't leave me," said the girl. And her mother remembered her request for the rest of her life.

Kay O'Bara spent the next 35 years at her daughter's bedside, regularly arranging her birthdays, caring for her and leaving at a time for 90 minutes to sleep or take a shower.

In 2008, the mother died at the age of 80. And Edward's sister began to fulfill her promise. It was she who caught the death of Sleeping Snow White. "Eduarda just closed her eyes and went to heaven with my mommy," said Colleen O'Bara.

According to her, Eduarda was not only “the best sister imaginable”, but also taught the woman a lot without even contacting her. "It's really great," she concluded.

6 important facts that no one will tell you about surgical weight loss

Is it possible to "cleanse the body of toxins"?

The biggest scientific discoveries of 2014

Experiment: a man drinks 10 cans of cola a day to prove its harm

How to lose weight fast for the New Year: we take emergency measures

A normal-looking Dutch village where everyone suffers from dementia

7 little-known tricks that will help you lose weight

5 of the most unimaginable human genetic pathologies

5 folk remedies for the common cold - working or not?

Coma, coma (from Greek koma - deep sleep, drowsiness) - life threatening a condition characterized by loss of consciousness, a sharp weakening or lack of response to external stimuli, the extinction of reflexes until they disappear completely, a violation of the depth and frequency of breathing, a change in vascular tone, an increase or slowdown in the pulse, a violation of 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, uremia, hepatitis. This results in violations acid-base balance in the nervous tissue, oxygen starvation, ion exchange disorders and energy starvation of nerve cells.

Coma is preceded by a pre-coma, during which the development of these symptoms occurs.

The coma 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. Importance has a rate of disease progression. The sudden development of coma is characteristic of vascular disorders (cerebral stroke). Relatively slowly, a coma develops with brain damage of an infectious nature. Symptoms of a coma with endogenous intoxications increase much more slowly - diabetic, hepatic, renal coma.

The exit from a coma 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 oppression. First, corneal (corneal) reflexes appear, then pupillary reflexes, the degree of vegetative disorders decreases. Restoration of consciousness goes through the stages of stupor, confused consciousness, delirium, hallucinations are sometimes noted. Often, during the period of coming out of a coma, there is a sharp motor restlessness with chaotic discoordinated movements against the background of a stunned state; convulsive seizures are possible, followed by a twilight state.

Cases of coming out of a coma after a long stay.

AT 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 to communicate with relatives and hospital staff using elementary 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 consistently count to 25.

AT June 2003 Chinese woman Jin Meihua woke up from a coma in which she had been for the past four and a half years. She suffered a severe brain injury after falling off her bike. Due to the severity of the injuries, the doctors did not have high hopes for Jean's cure. 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 in the As-Salam International Hospital in Cairo. A 25-year-old Syrian was in a car accident in Lebanon in 2002. He fell into a coma from severe head injuries, his heart stopped several times, the patient was connected to an artificial respiration unit. He was first treated at an American hospital in Beirut, and then he was transferred 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 long coma and came to his senses.

AT April 2005 American firefighter 43 year 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 the burning building collapsed on it. After the oxygen in the breathing apparatus ran out, Herbert spent 12 minutes under the rubble without air, as a result of which a coma ensued. 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) has woken up 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. In the same year, the 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 every hour to avoid muscle atrophy and the spread of infections. Having regained consciousness, the Pole learned that now all of his four children were married and married, and that he now has 11 granddaughters and grandchildren.

Coma - dangerous state, which is accompanied by deep sleep and threatens vulnerable human life. It is a state bordering between life and death. As a rule, it is characterized by a complete lack of consciousness, weakening or absence of any reaction to external stimuli. Ahead is the complete extinction of reflexes, which leads to their complete loss. The respiratory rate, changes in vascular tone and other phenomena that gradually kill are also disturbed. So how long did the most long coma on the planet?

most prolonged coma the world considers a case that occurred in American Miami a very long time ago. young girl, who was only sixteen years old, fell into a diabetic coma after pneumonia, which lasted 42 years. Her name was Edward O'Bara, who was nicknamed "Sleeping Snow White". Almost all the time the young girl was in a deep coma. The worst thing is that all this period her eyes were open as if everything was fine. Moreover, the ability to think completely disappeared: she did not hear the conversations that took place nearby, did not feel the touch of her loved ones, could not see, speak and perceive the world around.

Before the girl fell into a coma, she told her mother the following touching words: "Give me a promise that you will not leave me." Mother kept her promise own daughter, and visited her ward until 2008, until she died. After that, instead of her mother, Edward was with her own sister Colin. And their father left the world back in 1977 after an exhausting schedule of leaving and his daughter.

The young girl was predicted to have a very good future, but the illness broke everything, after which she was bedridden for forty-two years.

In the early morning of January 3, 1970, Eduarda woke up abruptly with terrible convulsions, which were accompanied by unbearable pain. And everything was to blame for the insulin that she took orally, which did not reach the blood in time. After that, she was immediately taken to the hospital, where she asked her mother to give her a promise, which she dutifully fulfilled all these long and tiring years.

All this time, Edward's mother Kay O'Bara spent at the bedside of her beloved daughter, protecting and celebrating all her birthdays. She only briefly left her permanent post in order to get some sleep and rest. The woman did not lose hope until the last, believing that she would be able to talk with her beloved daughter again.

The closest friends and relatives came daily to the ward of the unfortunate Eduarda, hoping that one day she would wake up. One sad day, Colleen O'Bara went out for a cup of coffee, and when she returned, she found that the woman had died. She did not hide her despair, but at the same time she said that her sister was able to teach her a lot without even saying a word.

A sad, but at the same time incredibly touching story, left no one indifferent. Dr. Wayne Dyer, upon hearing of this incredible story, wrote the book "A Promise is a Promise". Not every person is able to devote his entire life to caring for a loved one. This is complete dedication without a share of selfishness, real love mother to her child. On the this moment this is the longest coma that is known. Unfortunately she didn't have happy ending but only a very sad outcome.

In Miami, a 59-year-old woman died, who spent almost her entire adult life in an unconscious state. We are talking about Edward O'Bara, who was once nicknamed "Sleeping Snow White" by the media.

At the age of 16, O'Bara fell into a diabetic coma and hasn't "woken up" for 42 years since. It is noteworthy that Eduarda's eyes were constantly open, but there was no consciousness: she did not hear others, did not see them, and was unable to perceive the world around her in any way.

O'Bar's last words before the coma were a request to his mother. "Promise you won't leave me," said the girl. And her mother remembered her request for the rest of her life.

Kay O'Bara spent the next 35 years at her daughter's bedside, regularly arranging her birthdays, caring for her and leaving at a time for 90 minutes to sleep or take a shower.

In 2008, the mother died at the age of 80. And Edward's sister began to fulfill her promise. It was she who caught the death of Sleeping Snow White. "Eduarda just closed her eyes and went to heaven with my mommy," said Colleen O'Bara.

According to her, Eduarda was not only “the best sister imaginable”, but also taught the woman a lot without even contacting her. "It's really great," she concluded.

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

Often the coma ends in the death of the patient. But sometimes miracles happen and there is an awakening. The longest coma in the world with awakening lasted almost 19 years. This case changed doctors' opinions about coma 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 at that time was 20 years old (born April 7, 1964) decided to take a ride with his friend Chub Lowell in a pickup truck. The car had an accident and fell off the bridge from a height of almost 8 meters.

The pickup was found in a dry riverbed lying on its roof. Rescuers removed Terry, who suffered a head injury and was already in a coma, as well as Chub, with a serious spinal injury, who 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 the eyebrow. It is likely that it was this blow that brought the guy's condition to a coma.

  • A young farmer and auto mechanic before the tragedy.

  • With his wife Sandy.

  • A touching photo of Terri in a coma, along with her daughter, who is less than a year old. He will be able to communicate with her only when she is 20 years old.

  • With wife (left) and daughter (right).

Stay in a coma

After the accident, Terry was admitted to a local hospital. Doctors gave him a chance and said that if he wakes up within a year, then the probability of continuing a normal life is 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 despite the fact that doctors were already giving disappointing forecasts.

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

4 months before the tragedy, he had a wedding. And 6 weeks before the accident, Terry had 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 had three more children.

Terry's parents did not condemn Sandy, but they characterized her from a bad side. Sandy explained her departure by the fact that Amber needs a father, and she herself is not ready to sacrifice her youth for the negligible 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 ward, fed festive dishes(ground in a blender), gave him gifts that were laid out on the bed, rolled around the hospital.

It's been like this for almost 19 years.

Exit from 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 a coma. All his relatives have been waiting for this for 18 years 10 months and 28 days. That is how long the longest coma in the world with awakening lasted.

Terry Wallis woke up. He has not seen the world for almost 19 years. He recognized his parents, was surprised when they told him that he was married, but then remembered that he had a daughter, who, of course, last time seen 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 she was sitting in front of him adult girl. But later he realized the past tense. Parents showed photos of Amber in different years. In the future, he told his daughter that he must definitely recover in order to come up and hug her, and also that he regrets that he did not see with his own eyes how she was growing 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 recently listened melody (he liked country music) again, as if hearing it for the first time. From a past life, he remembered how he was engaged in housekeeping on the farm, and also for some time before the fateful trip, he remembered how he was going to go. After waking up, Terry could not move, he could only turn his head to one side.

In addition, after coming out of a coma, Terry lost all tact in conversation and could directly tell a person what he thinks of him, forgot how to lie. So, one day he told a nurse in the hospital that he thinks she is sexy and would like to make love to her.


  • Photo with mother Angela, who cared for him in a coma and after waking up.

  • Terry Wallis is in a coma.

  • A mother devotes every free minute to her son.

  • Grandson, granddaughter, daughter and Terry himself.

  • Angela Wallis has stood heroically for 19 years.

  • Mother and father.

  • Brother and other relatives of Terry Wallis are preparing to give interviews.

  • Sandy, wife. In the foreground family photo and a marriage certificate.

Wallis lost the ability to feel full. Therefore, it was required to feed him strictly dosed. He could not understand that he had already eaten, for which he could feel resentment towards his relatives, since he believed that he was underfed. Despite the sedentary lifestyle and good food He didn't gain weight.

After a coma, he began to have a negative attitude towards bad habits scolded relatives for cigarettes and alcohol. Angela believed that her son, during a coma, communicated with angels and therefore became so correct (besides, he 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 with the help of the court in order to make money on it, as his parents said, but they remained guardians. He starred in documentaries"Bodyshock" (2003) and "Coma" in 2007. His story has become the subject of study for many physicians.

  • The longest coma in the world with awakening was in 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 tragedy of Terry Wallis, it was Friday the 13th.
  • In some media, probably for drama, they indicate July 13, 2013 as the date of awakening, in order to write later that he woke up exactly on the day he crashed in a 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, while 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 hide this fact so as not to spoil their reputation.
  • Some media said that Terry's daughter became a stripper. It is not true. Amber has a family - a husband, children and has always led a decent life.
  • Relatives created the Terry Wallis Foundation, which collected only about $1,000, while for the maintenance of life it was necessary to pay about $30,000 a month.
  • When he woke up, he asked for a mineral water.
  • As of 2018, nothing is known about Terry and his family.
  • In fact, the longest coma in the world was with Edward O'Bar 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 waking up.

Reasons for leaving their coma

Experts tend to believe that Wallis came out of a coma due to the fact that his brain built the old nerve pathways that were destroyed due to trauma. This allowed him to partially regain consciousness. However, he could not completely improve his condition.

Some also claim that there are new neural pathways in Terry's brain that other people's brains don't have.

Terry Wallis now

As of the end of 2018, unfortunately, no data on Terry Wallis could be found. It is not known if he is still alive, and if so, what state of health he is in. The fate of his relatives is also unknown.