In an astonishing turn of events, Donald Herbert, a firefighter who had been in a minimally conscious state for nearly a decade, regained lucidity in April 2005, allowing him a brief but profound reunion with his family. The heart-wrenching moment was captured on video, as Herbert struggled to utter his first words in years, asking, “How long have I been gone?”
Herbert’s life changed in December 1995, when, at just 34 years old, he suffered a traumatic brain injury while responding to a house fire in Buffalo, New York. The father of four was trapped under a collapsed roof, deprived of oxygen for several critical minutes. By the time his wife, Linda, arrived at the hospital, Herbert was already in a coma. Reflecting on that painful time, Linda recalled pleading with him, saying, “Don’t leave me, don’t leave the kids, we need you”, told the Ladbible.
Herbert emerged from his coma about a year later, but the damage was profound. He struggled with speech, vision, and mobility, and was unable to recognize his loved ones. Within months, he slipped into a minimally conscious state, unable to communicate but showing occasional responses to stimuli. Left blind from his injuries, Herbert was transferred to a nursing home, where he relied on a feeding tube and round-the-clock care. Linda, desperate for hope, sought medical opinions, only to be told that her husband’s condition was unlikely to improve. “I was just devastated,” she told Anderson Cooper on 60 Minutes.
For over nine years, Herbert’s family endured the sorrow of his minimal awareness, unsure if he would ever fully return to them. Then, on April 30, 2005, he unexpectedly awoke, asking to see his family. His relatives and former firefighter colleagues rushed to the care facility, and a nurse handed them a video camera to capture the miraculous moment.
In the footage, Herbert’s sons embraced him as he emotionally repeated, “How long have I been gone?” Linda explained how he struggled to comprehend the nearly ten-year gap, especially when seeing his youngest son, Nick, who was four at the time of his accident. Nick recounted, “He still thought I was really young. He put his hand out to see how tall I was.”
Herbert’s awakening, which some experts believe was triggered by a new combination of drugs, left medical professionals stunned. Recoveries from severe brain injuries after so many years are rare, making Herbert’s case one of global interest.
Sadly, Herbert’s miraculous return was brief. Less than a year later, in February 2006, he passed away after suffering another brain injury in a fall and subsequently contracting pneumonia. Despite the tragic ending, Herbert’s brief return allowed his family a moment of closure and rekindled love after years of waiting and hoping.