1. The Accident
2. The Recovery

The Accident

In 1984, on Friday the 13th, Terry Wallace, then 19 years old, and a friend were involved in a major car accident in Mountain View, Arkansas.  Their car careened off the road into a ditch and came to a halt under a bridge.  Terry's passenger was killed while Terry suffered major injuries and was found comatose.  Terry's wife and 1 month old daughter waited, hoping Terry would recover quickly.  The family carried Terry home from the Stone County Nursing and Rehabilitation Center and back during the next 19 years hoping Terry would regain consciousness.

Terry remained comatose until June 13, 2003 (yes, also on Friday the 13th) when he awoke in his hospital bed and uttered his first words.  His daughter was now 19 years old.  His wife left to raise their daughter on her own for nearly 2 decades.  His mother and father still alive.

The Recovery

His first word was "Mom".  His second word: "Pepsi".  That was quickly followed by "milk" and by the second day Terry was talking as if nothing had every been wrong.  The only problem anyone could tell was Terry was still living in 1984.

Terry asked for his grandparents who had since died.  He still refers to Ronald Reagan as the president.  He remembers his home's phone number, a phone number that everyone else had long forgotten.  He was shocked to hear that the U.S.S.R was no longer a enemy and that the Berlin wall had fallen.

Doctors are puzzled by the recovery but state that it seemed to begin when Terry reacted to the news that his medical bill was in the 6 figure range.

It's good to have you back Terry...

Sources

(1) MSNBC Web site
(2) The Arkansas Post, July 11, 2003, Page 7
(3) The Tampa Tribune, July 10, 2003