Comatos man wakes up after 19 years

[Guest William E]

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Ark. (July 9) - The words began tumbling out - at first just a few nouns and eventually a torrent of phrases.

 

Terry Wallis, who had been in a coma since a 1984 car accident, regained consciousness last month to the surprise of doctors and the delight of his family, including his mother, who heard his first word in 19 years.

 

``He started out with 'Mom' and surprised her and then it was 'Pepsi' and then it was 'milk.' And now it's anything he wants to say,'' Stone County Nursing and Rehabilitation Center social director Alesha Badgley said Tuesday.

 

His mother, Angilee Wallis, called her son's return to consciousness a miracle: ``I couldn't tell you my first thought, I just fell over on the floor,'' she said.

 

Terry Wallis, now 39, was riding with a friend in July 1984 when their car left the road and plunged into a creek. Wallis and his friend were found the next day underneath a bridge. The friend was dead and Wallis was comatose.

 

Wallis' daughter, Amber, was born shortly before the accident, and the coma dragged on for almost two decades. She is now 19 and her dad has said he wants to walk again, for her. He is a quadriplegic as a result of the crash.

 

``It's been hard dealing with it, it's been hard realizing the man I married can't be there,'' said Wallis' wife, Sandi. ``We all, the whole family, missed out on his company.''

 

The silence ended June 12 when Wallis uttered his first word. He was able to talk a little more a day later and has improved ever since.

 

Terry's father, Jerry Wallis, said his son talks almost nonstop now, but it seems as though time stopped for him after the wreck. Terry still believes Ronald Reagan is the president.

 

Terry has asked to speak to his grandmother, who died several years ago, and even recited her phone number - something everyone else in the family had forgotten.

 

``You see, he's still back in 1984,'' said Jerry Wallis.

 

For the Wallis family, Terry's return to consciousness has been a blessing.

 

Perry Wallis, Terry' brother, said ``just to put it bluntly, it was pure hell to see your brother laying there, not knowing if you'll ever talk to him again.''

 

The timing of the recovery also has raised eyebrows.

 

``It's kind of peculiar. He wrecked on Friday the 13th and 19 years later he started talking on Friday the 13th,'' Jerry Wallis said.

 

07/09/03 07:59 EDT

 

 

 

 

He still thinks it 1984, I bet when they tell him its 2003, he will want to know where all the flying cars are

[rising up out of the back seat-nuh 0]

Fucking hell. Imagine waking up and seeing a girl who you figure is the same age as you: and it's your daughter.

 

This just reminds me of the "Prehistoric Ice Man" South Park episode.

 

Also, his second word was Pepsi? That's just crying out for a sponsorship deal

[Guest CoreyLazarus416]

You know that'll make a good commercial...

[The Dames 0]

Wow...so many things to catch up on.

 

The guy missed ALL of the 90's!

 

"Hey man...PLEASE tell me that Knight Rider is still on the air..."

 

Dames

[Guest William E]

Fucking hell. Imagine waking up and seeing a girl who you figure is the same age as you: and it's your daughter.

 

This just reminds me of the "Prehistoric Ice Man" South Park episode.

 

Also, his second word was Pepsi? That's just crying out for a sponsorship deal

Don't give them ideas

[Guest kkktookmybabyaway]

I'd hate to see that medical bill...

[The Dames 0]

Man...imagine if the last movie he saw was Terminator...and then he wakes up to see a commercial for Rise of the Machines?

 

I'd go right back into a coma.

 

Dames

[Guest Ripper]

wait to he sees the advancements in fashion and and the accesability of porn. Welcome...to the FUTURE!!!

[Guest ant_7000]

He's probably like whats a Internet? Thinks Micheal Jackson is still black. Wait until see his medical bill then he wished he would've died.

[Guest Choken One]

Truth Be told...

 

I'd off my-self missing out 19 years..

 

Why go through hell learning 19 years of confusing history?

[Guest kkktookmybabyaway]

He'd hear Bush is president and think "So Reagan's VP finally made it to the Oval Office..."

[Guest Hogan Made Wrestling]

He'd hear Bush is president and think "So Reagan's VP finally made it to the Oval Office..."

[Guest CED Ordonez]

Fucking hell. Imagine waking up and seeing a girl who you figure is the same age as you: and it's your daughter.

 

This just reminds me of the "Prehistoric Ice Man" South Park episode.

 

Also, his second word was Pepsi? That's just crying out for a sponsorship deal

Give him a Pepsi Blue. See what happens.

[Guest Fook_Hing_Ho]

"Do Sonny and Cher still have a show?"

"Uh, no. She won an Oscar and he's a congressman."

"Good night!"

*flatline*

[Swift Terror 0]

He missed out on grunge, Ghosterbusters 2, Superman IV, the Clinton presidency...and the entire run of Beverly Hills 90210. How bad can it be?

 

As for catching up on history--just plop him down in front of VH1 when they show "I Love the 80s"--out of mercy simply skip 1990-1999.

 

He'll probably whip out his 10 MHz 286 IBM, 1200 baud personal computer and say "So how do I get on this Internet thing?"

[Guest Crux]

That's pretty damn miraculous. But damn, imagine looking in the mirror and seeing this near-40 year old looking back at you.

[rising up out of the back seat-nuh 0]

"Do Sonny and Cher still have a show?"

"Uh, no. She won an Oscar and he's a congressman."

"Good night!"

*flatline*

Damn, I loved that scene

[Guest JMA]

On a serious note: How do you think he'll react to 9/11?

[rising up out of the back seat-nuh 0]

On a serious note: How do you think he'll react to 9/11?

He'd think it was a headfuck. But not be as affected as if he saw it happen live. He'd probably be more interested in cd's, the internet and Michael Jackson

[Guest thetrendsetter]

"HOGAN'S STILL AROUND!!!!!!!"

[Guest BDC]

Makes me wonder...

 

How long did he have to pee after that?

[Guest William E]

"HOGAN'S STILL AROUND!!!!!!!"

If he was a wrestling fan, and saw Smackdown, you know thats the first thing that he's going to say. Then he's going to ask ,"why" .

[Guest Spaceman Spiff]

It'd be pretty funny if he woke up and said, "Snooze alarm, my ass."

[Guest Tim56]

He probably can't wait to see Rocky 4 and 5.

[Guest Zero_Cool]

It'd be so freaky if I woke up tomorrow and I was forty..I'd be looking for flying cars within two minutes.

 

Seeing a picture of Michael Jackson now would probably make the guy lose it all, and ask people for pepsi frees and tabs

[Guest lomasmoney]

so wait imagine if this guy was a huge video game player and the last thing he played was pac-man on atari 2600 and he sees a fuckin xbox. Its amazing that this guy has missed all of the advancements in technology and michael jackson's face in the last 20 years. But its amazing that the guy is alive after two decades in a coma.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

Makes me wonder...

 

How long did he have to pee after that?

Probably not at all, considering he would've had a catheter for 2 decades.

[Guest Nanks]

So many celebrities and so forth who he'd have probably loved and he'll find out in one fell swoop they're dead, many in pretty inglorious circumstances. Just like Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery when he's thawed out.

[Guest DARRYLXWF]

Because this is such an amazing phenomenon, I wouldn't hesitate for a second in fucking with the guy's mind. If I was the parent/friend/daughter, once I let him know that it's 2003, I'd talk about the USSR winning the Cold War and the consequential resurgance of the Nazi party (to combat the communists). While I would be talking to him, I myself would be wearing a Nazi uniform.

 

Edit: Oh yeah, and Kennedy was shot by a time traveler who was trying to prevent the nuclear war of '64 (Kennedy's fault.)

[Guest Urine Sane]

Conan had a funny joke on it a couple nights ago.

 

Conan: Did you hear about the man who woke up after being in a coma for 19 years? The first thing he wanted was a Pepsi.....He said "It keeps me up".

 

I thought it was hilarious.