Firefighter Emerges From a Lost Decade

[Yurt]

This is amazing!

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. - Nearly 9 1/2 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 asked for his wife.

Staff members of the nursing home where Donald Herbert has lived for more than seven years raced to get Linda Herbert on the telephone.

It was the first of many conversations the patient had with his wife, four sons and other family and friends Saturday 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, who will turn 44 Saturday, was fighting a house fire Dec. 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 Monday to discuss his nephew's current condition, or whether the apparent progress was continuing this week. The family was seeking privacy while doctors evaluated Herbert, he said.

 

[dmp]

This is amazing!

Best Story all Year...perhaps.

 

[dmp]

More details :

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (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 Dec. 29, 1995, when the roof collapsed, burying him under debris. After going without air for several minutes, Herbert was comatose for 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 'til 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 13 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.''

 

[5stringJeff]

Don't tell the Left... they'll want to starve him to death to decrease the drain on society!

 

[SmarterThanYou]

talk about your slanted article. the title states he was brain damaged yet all throughout the different articles I've read, he suffered a brain injury that resulted in a comatose state. Nowhere does it state that a doctor confirmed some significant amount of brain damage.

 

[Yurt]

talk about your slanted article. the title states he was brain damaged yet all throughout the different articles I've read, he suffered a brain injury that resulted in a comatose state. Nowhere does it state that a doctor confirmed some significant amount of brain damage.

Yahoo, CNN, MSNBC, Fox, Al Jazeera (just kidding, no AJ)

So not sure what articles you are referring to.

 

[dmp]

talk about your slanted article. the title states he was brain damaged yet all throughout the different articles I've read, he suffered a brain injury that resulted in a comatose state. Nowhere does it state that a doctor confirmed some significant amount of brain damage.

Injured Brain...Brain Damage....semantics. Can you simply just stop with the conspiracy, and be HAPPY for the guy and his family?

 

[SmarterThanYou]

Injured Brain...Brain Damage....semantics. Can you simply just stop with the conspiracy, and be HAPPY for the guy and his family?

Happy? Im thrilled.

 

[5stringJeff]

Happy? Im thrilled.

Ditto.

 

[Joz]

Can you imagine what it would be like? To wake from this darkness to see you & your wife 10 years older? To see your young children, now adults? Even the world has changed the last 10 years. This man has alot of catching up and adjusting to.
Still, his family has him back. What could be better than that?!

 

[Yurt]

Can you imagine what it would be like? To wake from this darkness to see you & your wife 10 years older? To see your young children, now adults? Even the world has changed the last 10 years. This man has alot of catching up and adjusting to.
Still, his family has him back. What could be better than that?!

I was thinking the same. Would it be good or bad? Amazing or depressing? I suppose our own distinct outlooks on life would play a part. To me, probably shock. Then, since everyone tells me I have a "positive" outlook on life because I usually turn the bad into good, I would look at this as, wow, almost like being in a time machine. But then, everyone is older. Memories are lost (10 years of memories). Time. Time is lost. However, if I was this guy, I would just be thankful for recongition, the recognition of life. Hopefully he is too.

 

[dmp]

Can you imagine what it would be like? To wake from this darkness to see you & your wife 10 years older? To see your young children, now adults? Even the world has changed the last 10 years. This man has alot of catching up and adjusting to.
Still, his family has him back. What could be better than that?!

I didn't see that he could, uh, see...one article claimed he was blinded...then mentioned he was recognizing voices of loved ones, etc.

 

[JOKER96BRAVO]

Good thing this guy's wife didn't just give up on him huh!!!

 

[no1tovote4]

Go Firefighters!

 

[Joz]

I didn't see that he could, uh, see...one article claimed he was blinded...then mentioned he was recognizing voices of loved ones, etc.

Ok, so he can't actually see. Maybe that's a good thing, but I don't see how. But to suddenly have a adult say, "I'm you're child" , when you remember them as preteen/young teenagers has to be shocking.