Sarah Scantlin had lain in this bed nearly 20 years brain-damaged speechless immobile staring out the same window. On September 21, 1984, just a couple weeks into her freshman year, she was struck by a motor vehicle (drunk driver who fled the scene) while walking with friends and sustained a traumatic brain injury and spinal cord damage. Sarah Frei in her cheerleading outfit following the car accident on July 30, 2020 that led to both her legs being amputated. Woman talks after 20 years in a coma | CBC News In high school she was a captain of the Pantherette Drill Team. Sometimes they would track someone in the room, but mostly they were fixed on the TV. She wouldnt walk. In some ways its like a baby learning her first words, But Sarah bears the remnants of a sophisticated mind trying to re-connect. But when he asked her how old she was, Sarah guessed she was 22. Say 'hawk.' At year 14, Sarah began to scream, especially when people left her. Yes that's right. For the Scantlins, theres no talk about yesterday, no burning hope for tomorrow. But last week she could not wait any longer to talk to them. . She graduated from Nickerson High School in 1984 and attended Hutchinson Junior Community College where she made the cheerleading squad, the Dragon Dolls. One happy night -- Sept. 21 1984 -- Sarah 18 went to Tapper's bar to celebrate making the school's Dragon Dolls drill team. Apart from the patients in the true story Awakenings, Shapiro was the longest a person has been in a coma like state and woken up. The Boy Who Lived In A Bubble His Whole Life- https://youtu.be/FiLGImiSf8s Tragedy yielded positive outcomes | News, Sports, Jobs - Lawrence display: none; Dateline Briefs: Brain-damaged woman begins talking again Pat says she would stroke Sarah's face cradle her head like a baby and coo "Say 'I love you. I have to come out of there.' You could not convince her otherwise, Jim said. This Sarah loved to talk just like her father a traveling salesman. Anyone can read what you share. Sarah Scantlin was an 18-year-old college freshman on Sept. 22, 1984, when she was hit by a drunk driver as she walked to her car after celebrating with friends at a teen club. According to The Hutchinson News, which reported frequently on Sarah's progress, she began crying out loud about five years after the accident. What do you want all this to lead to? Her neck muscles are so constricted she cannot swallow to eat. Sarah's dad cheers her on "Say your numbers with conviction! Time magazine even featured her in a 2007 special edition that focused on the brain and the mysteries of consciousness.. But on the way back to her car, a drunk driver collided with Scantlin, knocking her into the path of another oncoming car. What amazed everyone was that when Sarah awakened she remembered family and friends. HUTCHINSON, KANSAS A woman unable to talk since she was hit by a drunken driver 20 years ago has begun to regain her memory and form words, sending her father "from despair to joy.". I wish people would have known her before. The 18-year-old freshman at Hutchinson Community College had just been selected to the drill team. Sarah Scantlin. For years, she could only blink her eyes one blink for "no," two blinks for "yes" to respond to questions that no one knew for sure she understood. "It's been destroyed.". Drunken Driver Gets Jail Term And Visit to Comatose Victim, https://www.nytimes.com/1985/03/17/us/drunken-driver-gets-jail-term-and-visit-to-comatose-victim.html. Its just all pretty amazing.. That week, she had been hired at an upscale clothing store and won a spot on the drill team at Hutchinson Community College. I said 'Anything else?' ", "I don't blame you" her father says wistfully. When Sarah speaks it's difficult to understand what she's saying but those familiar seem to figure out her words. You can read the CBS story about Sarah's continuing recovery here. His friends or those he thought were his friends when he was a popular athlete called him "retarded" and he felt lonely. But her words came easier than first thought. Some grew up and some grew old. "Perhaps, in Sarah's case, it was enough to get through the fog.". She says 'I could have left.' It was pretty amazing, he said. For the last quarter century, letter carriers have set aside the second Saturday in May as a special day to help fight hunger in America. "She missed a long time" her dad says. Eight years later after gallbladder surgery Tipps sat straight up and said "Mother what has Marybell" -- the beautician -- "what has she put in your hair? "Before she opened her eyes she didn't move a muscle except to yawn" says Betsy. She existed in silence, minimally responsive, subsisting on a feeding tube, unable to do anything for herself. "I said do you know about New York? - They didn't want to push Sarah Scantlin too far, too fast. You are referring to the 25th Annual Letter Carriers Stamp Out Hunger food drive. This story appeared on Page B1 of The Standard-Times on July 30 2005. Trammell told The News that in all her years working with residents who have suffered a head injury, Sarah was the first to recover speech and the forming of words. [6]She existed in silence, minimally responsive, subsisting on a feeding tube, unable to do anything for herself. After 20 years of silence, brain-damaged woman begins talking Market data provided by Factset. 1913-2003. Jim Scantlin, Sarah's father, told The Early . Her favorite question was, Really?. [11] Not awake, not asleep. One of the Rainbow Club members passed away the day after Sarah spoke. Trending News Jim asked her if she remembered the accident and she told him she didn't want to talk about it. Jim can recall that night in September when Sarah, just weeks into her freshman year at Hutchinson Community College, was hit by the driver, who fled the scene. Betsy says. Pat wasn't trained in speech therapy or neurology but she could see people behind the drool and the incapacitation. Scantlin still suffers constantly from the effects of the accident. The Awakening - The Washington Post She did suffer a traumatic brain injury and spinal cord damage and had to be referred to a hospital right away. She infrequently asked questions, but she would surprise visitors out of the blue. "Look at that smile. Woman wakes from 20 year coma - freerepublic.com "She was walking toward me and she said 'Hi Mom!' The staff worked with Sarah's speech for nearly a month before calling her mother who now lived in Cheney about an hour away. Although 20 years had passed, she was pretty certain she was still 18 or 19. Twenty years ago Sarah was hit by a drunk driver the impact throwing her into the path of a second car that struck her forehead and left her so severely injured nobody understood how she survived. On Saturday, her brother asked whether she knew what a CD was. Dad Jim Scantlin calls Sept. 22, 1984, the darkest day of his life. 1992. Sarah Scantlin progress report In 1986 James and Betsy sold their possessions bought an RV and moved to Albuquerque where James worked as a substitute teacher and Betsy "did nothing just lollygagging around." Time magazine even featured her in a 2007 special edition that focused on the brain and the mysteries of consciousness.. They have given me my daughter back," he said. A good 'k.' She spent nine months in the hospital and then was moved to Hutchinson. The food drive brings in about 15 volunteers to help. Although 20 years had passed, she was pretty certain she was still 18 or 19. Jim asked her if she remembered the accident and she told him she didnt want to talk about it. Douglas Doman II served 6 months in jail for driving under the influence and leaving the scene of an injury accident. -https://youtu.be/Yq-TVjRYWR83.World's Spiciest Foods -https://youtu.be/rsK3urNQzws4.World's Most Dangerous Foods- https://youtu.be/aIsBJL3usRc5.Most Expensive Foods in the World - https://youtu.be/o3M5BD1T66E6.Horrifying True Dark Web Horror Stories- https://youtu.be/pckHu5d5r_c7.FTC Investigating Why Mcdonald's Ice Cream Machines Are Always Broken- https://youtu.be/MB-HAhHieKE8.Most Dangerous Places to Travel on Earth- https://youtu.be/kzHdaXWKz8k9. [4] She went through intensive physical, occupational and speech therapy, which helped her to control her arms and legs. ". Its a day-to-day thing., Homeless in the OR city where he was once mayor, Exploring What Binds, or Splits, a Family Tree, Sports on TV & radio: Local listings for Seattle games and events, She was a sex-trafficked teen. The drunk driver fled the scene without stopping. For 20 years she slept and doctors said she would never wake up. Scantlin started talking in mid-January but asked staff members not to tell her parents until Valentine's Day (search) to surprise them, Trammell said. They did not want to get her parents' hopes up until they were sure Sarah would not relapse, Trammell said. They began teaching her to add emotion to her speech. It was the most amazing feeling in the world," he said. Now relax your arm. The injuries she sustained were critical and the doctors were unsure if she would survive. Would you like to go see Brother? But I spent most of last week giggling. Doctors were baffled; no one could explain why she had begun speaking. Say I'm thirsty. "So I could hear her all the way out the door.". Sarah Scantlin - IMDb The Scantlins were never interested in Sarah's story getting entangled in Terri Schiavo's. So what do think about the current low prices? He asked. I want to talk. Sarah told Smith she felt "trapped" not asleep. The surgeons in Wichita told her family that Sarah was physically strong and would survive the injuries to her body, but she had a severe injury to her brain which she wouldn't recover from. Brain-injured woman's speech returns after 20 years (BatesLine) She is 40, but without a concept of time passing, she thinks she's 18. 'I'm 17. I Lost Both My Legs After a Head-On Car Crash' - Newsweek She changed Pat's job to director of activities. If Sarah made any sound Pat would praise her "Yes that's right. She hadnt uttered a word in 20 years, not since she was struck by a car when she was a college freshman and left physically and verbally unresponsive. She had always believed Sarah would speak at some point. There was another Sarah before this Sarah. Sarah lay motionless for several weeks. ''I'm sorry. "The brain injury is so severe that the daughter you had is gone," said James Scantlin, Sarah's dad. Pat would say. She had been aware of her surroundings but unable to make any sounds other than loud crying until a month ago, when she told staff members, "OK, OK.". This article "Sarah Scantlin" is from Wikipedia. Accident Victim Speaks After 20-Year Silence | Fox News Family members say Scantlin's understanding of the outside world comes mostly from news and soap operas that played on the television in her room. . Two years ago, Sarah did start to make a variety of noises, but her parents had to . The religious media said she woke from a coma after 20 years. or redistributed. Jim Scantlin Sr. died in January, and Betsy Scantlin's health is failing. She had one brother named James V. Scantlin. Doctors are not sure why. [17] She retained much of her long-term memory but did not comprehend that she was no longer 18-years-old. [13] She was in a minimally conscious coma-like state for 20 years. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. } That was about the same time I said 'I have to go back to Kansas.' Sarah's case differs from Terry Schiavo's case, where a lack of oxygen caused damage to the entire brain, resulting in what doctors call persistent vegetative state. KANSAS CITY, MO. Terri Schiavo's case was different. One such story is that of Sarah Scantlin, a woman who has been in a state of minimal consciousness since a car accident in 1984. Meanwhile, her tragedy began back in 1984 just weeks into her. She would brighten the room when I came in, Lori said. Rincon says she was reading her a story when another patient interrupted Pat wanting a manicure. She lay in a coma for six weeks stitches mounting her shaved head like stitches on a softball. She stops exhausted. For 20 years, Sarah Scantlin was seemingly unaware of the world around her after she was hit by a drunk driver in an accident that sent her into a comatose state in September of 1984. Her skull had been crushed, her leg was twisted, and she quickly fell into a coma. That was the start of the rest of our life with her, Jim Scantlin said. But then they said she wouldn't talk. Woman Named Sarah Scantlin Wakes After 20 Year Coma. Still it was music to the ears of the people who'd worked with her for so long. But one night in 1984, just after midnight, a drunk driver hit Sarah and threw her into the path of a second car which struck her directly in the head. Though she is able to say Oklahoma, she still has trouble with Kansas. They work on pronouncing her ns and ts. All rights reserved. After Sarah graduated she enrolled in Hutchinson Junior College.