Man Wakes From 19-Year Coma
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A Stone County man is beginning the long journey of healing--and catching up on half a lifetime. A tragic accident left Terry Wallis in a coma for almost 20 years. Two weeks ago, he came out of it.
Family members say 39-year-old Terry Wallis is a man who never gave up on anything and despite all the odds, his family never gave up on him. Now their prayers have been answered.
It was the early 80's. Madonna's ?Crazy For You? was a hit and Terry and Sandi Wallis were crazy for each other. ?I loved his smile, I loved his eyes. There's nothing about terry I didn't like,? says Sandi Wallis, Terry's wife. ?All I can say, is he was a wonderful man and I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him.?
The young couple was celebrating the birth of their daughter, Amber. Life was good until Friday the 13th, in July of 1984. Terry went for a ride with a friend. The next day, their bodies were found under a bridge. Terry's friend died and Terry?s life would never be the same.
Never to regain consciousness, they didn't think he would speak again. Terry went into a coma and became a quadriplegic. Perry Wallis, Terry's brother, explains: ?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.?
Angilee Wallis, Terry's mother, says, ?it's heart-breaking. There's no way to explain it.?
Terry was moved to a nursing home to receive ?round-the-clock care. His family visited often, even though he was unable to communicate. "It's been hard dealing with it, it?s been hard realizing the man I married can't be there."
"We all, the whole family, missed out missed out on his company."
Then, after 19 years of silence, somehow, Terry spoke his first word. He said ?mom.?
"I couldn't tell you my first thought, I just fell over on the floor."
"It just feels so good, it's a miracle."
Terry spent most of his time at the Stone County Rehab Center and his family took him out on weekends and special occasions. "The doctor said that's why he remembers things, we might have kept his mind going."
"He's my husband, I married him for better or worse, thick or thin, ?til death do us part."
"There was just no way I could give up hope on him, I wanted so bad to communicate with him."
Now, at the age of 39, Terry says it's just the beginning and he says he can do whatever he wants to.
Terry's daughter is now 19 and he says he wants to walk again for her. His wife is anxious for the family to sit down to dinner and a soda. But they know it's one step at a time.
The Wallis family urges anyone who has a loved one in a coma to keep the faith and never give up. They say they're living proof that miracles do happen.
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A Stone County man is beginning the long journey of healing--and catching up on half a lifetime. A tragic accident left Terry Wallis in a coma for almost 20 years. Two weeks ago, he came out of it.
Family members say 39-year-old Terry Wallis is a man who never gave up on anything and despite all the odds, his family never gave up on him. Now their prayers have been answered.
It was the early 80's. Madonna's ?Crazy For You? was a hit and Terry and Sandi Wallis were crazy for each other. ?I loved his smile, I loved his eyes. There's nothing about terry I didn't like,? says Sandi Wallis, Terry's wife. ?All I can say, is he was a wonderful man and I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him.?
The young couple was celebrating the birth of their daughter, Amber. Life was good until Friday the 13th, in July of 1984. Terry went for a ride with a friend. The next day, their bodies were found under a bridge. Terry's friend died and Terry?s life would never be the same.
Never to regain consciousness, they didn't think he would speak again. Terry went into a coma and became a quadriplegic. Perry Wallis, Terry's brother, explains: ?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.?
Angilee Wallis, Terry's mother, says, ?it's heart-breaking. There's no way to explain it.?
Terry was moved to a nursing home to receive ?round-the-clock care. His family visited often, even though he was unable to communicate. "It's been hard dealing with it, it?s been hard realizing the man I married can't be there."
"We all, the whole family, missed out missed out on his company."
Then, after 19 years of silence, somehow, Terry spoke his first word. He said ?mom.?
"I couldn't tell you my first thought, I just fell over on the floor."
"It just feels so good, it's a miracle."
Terry spent most of his time at the Stone County Rehab Center and his family took him out on weekends and special occasions. "The doctor said that's why he remembers things, we might have kept his mind going."
"He's my husband, I married him for better or worse, thick or thin, ?til death do us part."
"There was just no way I could give up hope on him, I wanted so bad to communicate with him."
Now, at the age of 39, Terry says it's just the beginning and he says he can do whatever he wants to.
Terry's daughter is now 19 and he says he wants to walk again for her. His wife is anxious for the family to sit down to dinner and a soda. But they know it's one step at a time.
The Wallis family urges anyone who has a loved one in a coma to keep the faith and never give up. They say they're living proof that miracles do happen.
