posted on May 3, 2005 09:59:32 AM
Brain damaged for 10 years, firefighter makes astounding recovery
Tuesday, May 3, 2005 Posted: 10:05 AM EDT (1405 GMT)
"How long have I been away," Donald Herbert asked.
ORCHARD PARK, New York (AP) -- Ten years after a firefighter was left brain-damaged and mostly mute during a 1995 roof collapse, he did something that shocked his family and doctors: He perked up.
"I want to talk to my wife," Donald Herbert said out of the blue Saturday. Staff members of the nursing home where he has lived for more than seven years raced to get Linda Herbert on the telephone.
It was the first of many conversations the 44-year-old patient had with his wife, four sons and other family and friends during a 14-hour stretch, Herbert's uncle, Simon Manka said.
"How long have I been away?" Herbert asked.
"We told him almost 10 years," the uncle said. "He thought it was only three months."
Herbert was fighting a house fire December 29, 1995, when the roof collapsed, burying him under debris. After going without air for several minutes, Herbert was comatose for 2 1/2 months and has undergone therapy ever since.
News accounts in the days and years after his injury describe Herbert as blind and with little, if any, memory. Video shows him receiving physical therapy but apparently unable to communicate and with little awareness of his surroundings.
Manka declined to discuss his nephew's current condition, or whether the apparent progress was continuing. The family was seeking privacy while doctors evaluated Herbert, he said.
"He's resting comfortably," the uncle said.
As word of Herbert's progress spread, a steady stream of visitors arrived at the Father Baker Manor nursing home in this Buffalo suburb.
"He stayed up till early morning talking with his boys and catching up on what they've been doing over the last several years," firefighter Anthony Liberatore told WIVB-TV.
Herbert's sons were 14, 13, 11 and 3 when he was injured.
Staff members at the nursing facility recognized the change in Herbert, Manka said, when they heard him speaking and "making specific requests."
"The word of the day was `amazing,"' he said.
Dr. Rose Lynn Sherr of New York University Medical Center said when patients recover from brain injuries, they usually do so within two or three years.
"It's almost unheard of after 10 years," she said, "but sometimes things do happen and people suddenly improve and we don't understand why."
Manka said visitors let Herbert set the pace of the conversations and did not bring up the fire in which he was injured.
"The extent and duration of his recovery is not known at this time," Manka said. "However we can tell you he did recognize several family members and friends and did call them by name."
posted on May 3, 2005 01:48:50 PM
He was not on life support. He was fully conscious, reactive and able to eat, etc.
I knew when I saw this story that someone would make a comment such as yours and attempt to make a connection to the Shiavo case despite the fact that the two individuals had no medical commonality.
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If it's really "common" sense, why do so few people actually have it?
posted on May 3, 2005 02:15:08 PM
Well lets see what the article says:
1. He was brain damaged
2. He was most mute
3. News accounts in the days and years after his injury describe Herbert as blind and with little, if any, memory. Video shows him receiving physical therapy but apparently unable to communicate and with little awareness of his surroundings.
nah, no commonality whatsoever.
Cheryl, whats the matter - ho-hum cause its not somebody in your family? Do let us know when the next gastric influenza (eyeroll) hits, or when the next cancer alert comes along, wouldnt want you to feel it was all rather ho-hum'ish you know.
posted on May 3, 2005 02:33:01 PM
I'm happy for this firefighter. It's great for him and his family that he's recovering. However, it is nowhere near the same as Shiavo's condition. I'm saying the Shiavo thing has been beaten into the ground and Libra's posting of this will just bring up the same old tired debate. Just like: abortion, gay marriage, WOMD, and all the other topics that have been discussed over, and over, and over, and over again.
posted on May 3, 2005 03:08:08 PM
lol!,,so they should name this the hash table, or rehash table instead of the round table?
By the way, the reference to Shiavo was all your own, you know. I think libra posted it to show that recovery in brain damaged patients does happen. And it's current news story marked May 3, 2005. At one time some were begging proof of any specific incidents of brain-damaged recoveries and she posts one and then its ho-hum?
I know what you mean about the rehashing, but personally, I dont think there's anything ho-hum about this man suddenly regaining brain and motor functionality after 10 years and they cant explain it?
edited to add: ho-hum to me is a normal kid who goes to public school getting a stomach virus and a doting grandma getting totally up in arms about it. (sorry Cheryl had to give it to ya, there. ..But you'll notice I never did say anything to insult you about it in the original post.)
[ edited by dblfugger9 on May 3, 2005 03:30 PM ]
posted on May 3, 2005 03:57:27 PM
I posted this as a good story unlike the rest of the garbage that is posted in here and of course guess who had to jump in.
I didn't even think of the Schiavo case but now that you think of it this mans wife didn't have a boyfriend unlike Terry's husband who had a girlfriend and 2 children after 2 years in the facility
Take it for what it is worth Cheryl and Fenix I don't see you posting good stories, just doom and gloom.
posted on May 3, 2005 04:45:59 PM
The point was, Cheryl, was that I was not sarcastic toward you or your six year old by telling you just how ho-hum a six year old kid getting sick is until you decided to be rude and stupid and say a man coming round after 10 years is ho-hum.
Weigh it out in your hands. A typical 6 year old gets gets a cold, or a man comes back from a coma? Which is more common?
And by the way, if you keep wanting to sound like you have some medical knowledge you might like to note influenza aka the flu, has to do with the respiratory track. It is other organisms that affect the gastro intestinal system. Dont try rude on me, Cheryl. I'm not like most of the posters here who only go for opportunistic insulting and 'correction' games. If I wanted to, I could have told you all this in the original thread just to shoot you down.
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[ edited by dblfugger9 on May 3, 2005 05:04 PM ]
posted on May 3, 2005 06:01:29 PM
This reminds me of the old wife tale of someone whose spirit has left his body and he remains unconscious for years ,the spirit finally returns and he does not remember what has transpired during his absense.
This has been reported in diff parts of the world.
-sig file -------
Eat grass,kick ass,never go belly up!
posted on May 3, 2005 07:19:47 PM
Okay Libra, it's good news for this guy and his family and may give others some hope. But how much further can we go with this one?
