Courageous firefighter Donald Herbert’s life turned upside down after he sustained severe injuries while responding to a house fire. He was only 34 years old but unfortunately, he was in a coma and then in a minimally conscious state for a decade. In a shocking turn of events, however, Herbert regained lucidity and the family captured the heart-wrenching moment on camera.
What happened to Herbert
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Herbert was responding to a house fire in Buffalo, New York, in December 1995. The property’s roof collapsed on him, which in turn pinned him under a pile of debris and he was nearing suffocation at this point, having been deprived of oxygen for several minutes.
His colleagues rescued him but it was too late
Embed from Getty ImagesAfter the oxygen deprivation that lasted for several minutes, Herbert was successfully rescued by his colleagues. However, by the time Herbert’s wife, Linda, arrived at the hospital, the father of four was already in a coma, leaving the wife devastated and in denial.
It took a year
Embed from Getty ImagesHerbert eventually showed signs of life a year later, emerging from his coma. Sadly, he had problems with speech, vision, and mobility on top of being unable to eat without assistance. He was barely able to remember anything, even those dear to him didn’t ring a bell for him.
A jump into the minimally conscious state
Embed from Getty ImagesWithin a few months after regaining consciousness, Herbert went into a minimally conscious state. This means that one can respond to stimuli and show some awareness, but is otherwise unable to communicate. In addition, Herbert was also left blind after the tragic accident.
A tragedy for the family
Embed from Getty ImagesHerbert’s family was forced to move him to a nursing home. In the nursing home, he was being kept alive through a feeding tube and was constantly taken care of. The doctors saw differently than Linda. Linda was hopeful whereas the doctors advised her to start letting go.
The sons’ account of their father’s state
Embed from Getty ImagesOne of the sons talked to Anderson Cooper on 60 Minutes and described how it made him “sick to his stomach” to see his father in such a horrific state. Another said they (the family) “never” got used to their dad being minimally conscious.
Herbert suddenly awoke
Embed from Getty ImagesAfter nine years of being in this minimally conscious state, Herbert suddenly awoke on 30 April, 2005, asking where his family was. His family, loved ones and firefighter colleagues all rushed to the nursing home where a nurse lent them a camera to record this miraculous moment.
Herbert and his sons in an emotional moment
Embed from Getty ImagesIn the video, Herbert’s sons are seen hugging their dad, with him asking them, “How long have I been gone?” The youngest of the four sons, Nick had drastically changed in the span of a decade, from being four to being 14 years old. This change left Herbert shocked and putting his hand out over his son to feel how grown he was, since he was blind.
What might have caused the miracle
Embed from Getty ImagesDoctors around the world were baffled by how Herbert managed to survive that much brain damage and wake up from his minimally conscious state. It is believed that the astonishing results are thanks to a cocktail of drugs which were normally used to treat Parkinson’s, ADHD, and depression.
He eventually passed away
Embed from Getty ImagesHerbert sadly passed away the following year on 21 February, 2006. He sustained another brain injury while attempting to get up out of bad and later contracted pneumonia, which was the cause of his unfortunate passing. He is survived by his wife, Linda, and their four children.
