Posted on 03/07/2007 7:50:20 AM PST by OB1kNOb
Doctors call it a miracle. A Southern Colorado woman was in a vegetative state for more than six years, but now, she's talking for the first time. She spoke exclusively to 11 News.
Christa Lilly had a heart attack then a stroke. That's the last thing she remembers. It was November of 2000, when Lilly slipped into a vegetative state, which is essentially like a coma, but with the eyes open. Lilly was unconscious and unaware of her surroundings. Now, for the first time in six and a half years, she's awake, alert, and talking. "I think it's wonderful. It makes me so happy," Lilly tells us.
The last time Lilly was aware of the world around her, Bill Clinton was in office and the September 11th attacks hadn't even happened. Lilly was also surprised to find out her youngest daughter is now 12. "It's kinda exciting," Chelcy says. She’s Christa’s daughter. And she's also a grandmother of three, that's new too. "Seeing her talking," Latiana says, is the greatest gift of all. She's 6-years-old and the oldest of the grandchildren.
“To come back out of it... God is good," Minnie Smith, Lilly’s mother, says. She has been taking care of her all these years. She says this past Sunday, her prayers were answered. "Every morning, I always check on her when I wake up, before I go to the bathroom. I always say, ‘Hi baby, how are you doing?’ She said, ‘I'm fine’ and that's when I knew she was awake." A two-word answer that changed everything.
Lilly says her biggest frustration is learning how to talk again. "I've been eating cake." Eating is no problem for this woman, who had been kept alive by a feeding tube.
“This is a miracle,” Lilly's neurologist, Dr. Randall Bjork, tells us. He checked to see her how her brain is functioning. He says he's as surprised as everyone else. "This is all mystical and I can't explain it."
Uttering her first sentences in more than 6 years, Christa has a lot of catching up to do.
Lilly's mom says her daughter has awakened 4 other times in the past, but not completely, not like this. There's a chance Lilly could slip back into her vegetative state, but the family is hoping she's back for good.
That's great. I hope you're uncle is still doing well.
As does Anna Nicole. ;-)
you're s/b your.
So true.
I'm hoping for one. My sister-in-law had a massive stroke 2 weeks ago. She's only in her mid-40s. She had untreated high blood pressure. She is alone in Kissimmee, FL. She has a huge family, but we are all in CT and NY.
"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."
-- Albert Einstein
tatt
p.s. great screenname :}
Thanks for posting this, OB1kNOb.
Terri Schiavo's brain was dead. The coroner weighed it out at about half the size of a normal brain. If that had happened to this woman, she'd never have recovered, either.
WOW!
You're welcome. Good news is nice for a change. :-)
Yeah, after all the water had been dehydrated from it. What a dishonest argument.
Prayers up for your SIL and family.
Terri was never in a vegetative state to begin with.
Thanks!
Your inability or refusal to acknowledge reality won't change it. If you insist on believing nonsense, like "Terri could have gotten better", no one can stop you.
Do be advised that you make all the rest of us (justifiably) objects of derision by doing so.
Sorry...but we disagree and there are and were professional opinions on both side of the matter. IMHO, they should have let her parents, who loved her, care for her. That was the hummane thing...but I didn't get a vote.
Thank you.
You can suffer brain cell damage and still recover, like this woman did.
That's what adult brain stem cells are for.
Her brain was dead, she would have not recovered....but her parents should of been able to take care of her. Her husband should be in jail.
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