10 Patients Who Came Out From Coma With Extraordinary Skills

Have you ever thought what it’s like to be in a coma? Usually, being in coma means that your life has been put on a pause for months or years. In severe cases, the days can be extended to years or even decades. 

Though some people experience nothing (not a single movement), there are some who experience vivid dreams and wake up with some extraordinary skills. Even when you are in the constant state, brain functions and sometimes this helps you in becoming wiser. So here are the stories of coma patients who came out with brilliant skills.

1. A Man Became Fluent in Spanish

Source = Zikoko

You might be aware with foreign accent syndrome, a condition in which people (native speaker) who have suffered a brain injury start speaking a language with a foreign accent. 

The same thing happened with the 16-year-old Georgia native Reuben Nsemoh. He suffered a severe soccer injury in 2016. Apparently, he started communicating in Spanish for few days with his new skills diminishing thereafter.

2. First Jewish Man to Divorce his Spouse in the State of Unconsciousness

Source = Buildingjewishbridges

It was in 2014 when an Israeli woman filed for divorce from her husband who had been in coma after a motorcycle accident in 2007. Although Judaism instructs that the husband should agree to any legal separation, the woman was granted her wish by the court in Safed. 

The case was followed by years of legal wrangling, culminating in a showdown at Israel’s High Court of Justice. The judges in the court said, 

“It is unacceptable that a divorce given by a rabbinical court, equivalent to a ruling in a civil court, can be retroactively annulled”.

Finally, the woman was set free to remarry, while her husband was in coma. He became the first Jewish man to divorce his wife in a state of coma.

3. They Won The Landmark Legal Case

Source = Landmarkcases.c-span

It was in April 1989 when 96 Liverpool fans were killed as a result of negligent policing at an FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest at Sheffield’s Hillsborough Stadium. 94 out of 96 died on a similar day, Lee Nicol was the one who survived the night and then died a week later. The last victim Tony Bland lived in coma for 4 years.

After knowing that their son has no chance of recovery, Bland's parents launched the legal action to withdraw his life support. Meanwhile, the fierce national debate about the right to die was waged by pro-lifers and advocates. 

Initially, the court rejected their plea and the case was referred to England’s appeal court. Eventually, the House of Lords, before the doctors arrived, gave permission to lawfully remove the feeding tube. It was the first time in history that an English court ruled to discontinue treatment in agreement with medical practice.

4. Swiss Man Angelo de Luca Became A Sex Addict

Source = Listverse

According to the journal ‘Australia’s Daily Telegraph’, a 81-year-old man after a major operation awakened with the sex drive of a lustful teenager. After watching that, his dad is adding nearly $2500 of his savings on young prostitute. His son seized his finances and placed him under strict house arrest. Later his son claimed, 

“The woman preyed upon my father like he was a Christmas goose.” 

This old man woke up with some insane skills!

5. A Crown Prince Became A King

Source = Murderpedia

Crown Prince Dipendra Bir Bikram Shah opened fire at the Nepalese royals at Narayanhity Royal Palace. He killed 11 people including his parents who were the king and queen of Nepal. He was quite satisfied and then turned the gun on himself. Instead of dying, he ended up in coma where he remained for days before dying. The craziest part is that he technically inherited his father’s position (became the king) for 3 days and the country was ruled by the mass murderer who was in unconscious state.

6. A Woman Gave Birth While in Coma

Source = Dailymail

Now this can really surprise you. It was in 2010 when the ill mother-to-be (Valerie Leah) went into coma in a hospital in Manchester after contracting with Swine Flu just 3 months before the due date amid fears that her baby is at serious risk. When she came around, they placed her newborn son into her arms. 

After spending 4 months in coma under the careful watch of professionals, both child and mother was discharged with the bill of health. As per reports, it was the first time when a mother contracting with swine flu had a happy ending.

7. Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani’s Love Story Inspired a Director

Source = Wantedinrome

Emily V. Gordon had been dating Kumail Nanjiani, her future husband for eight months when she fell ill in 2007. She was diagnosed with adult-onset Still’s disease and was then brought back to normal within 12 days. Initially, when both were seeing their relationship full of romance, it got fizzled out in months and they were now madly in love with each other. They exchanged the vows after Gordon’s recovery. 

They shared the story script with a film director and even acted in the movie – The Big Sick in which Nanjiani stars himself.

8. Two People Broke the Record of Living In Coma

Source = Listverse

Chicago born Elaine Esposito fell into coma when she was just 6 years old after undergoing an operation to remove the appendix. The girl lived 37 years, 3 months and 20 days. She died after holding a Guinness World Record in November 1978. 

Her record stood for three decades until it was broken by Edwarda O’Bara who fell into coma when she was a student in January 1970. She had been asleep for 42 years and is said to be the longest coma patient in the history.

9. A British Man Was Convinced That He Was Matthew McConaughey

A British man Rory Curtis was convinced that he was Hollywood actor Matthew McConaughey. He fell into a coma after having a severe brain injury. He was said to be shocked when he caught a glimpse of a reflection in the mirror and didn’t see the star of true Detective staring back at him. He developed the ability to speak French despite only briefing that he studied the language when he was teen. 

He was determined to do something that he enjoyed but took up completely a different vocation. He didn’t end up with acting but became a barber.

10. A Brazilian Soccer Player Won the Copa Sudamericana

Source = Thenypost

It was in November 2016 when the Brazilian soccer player met with a tragedy. The flight crashed in northern Colombia and killed all but three of the Chapecoense players en route to Medellin where they were appointed to play in Copa Sudamericana final. 

The survivors were the goalkeepers Jackson Follmann, center back Helio Hermito Zampier Neto and left back Alan Ruschel, who remained in coma for two weeks after his rescue. Neto came around with no memory of the crash in December.

Between that Atletico Nacional Chapecoense’s fellow finalist had requested that South American soccer’s governing body CONMEBOL should award the title to their opponents as a gesture of solidarity. And this is how Neto became a champion from the hospital bed without even kicking a ball.