Coma Woman Awakens After 6 Years, Relapses

Colo. Mother In Vegetative State Since 2000 Meets Grandchildren She Didn't Know She Had

(CBS/AP)  Doctors called it a miracle: A Southern Colorado woman, in a vegetative state for more than six years, talked for the first time. But the miracle was short-lived.

Christa Lilly has since relapsed.

Minnie Smith, her mother and chief caregiver, has tended to Lilly who suffered a heart attack and stroke in November 2000.

"Every morning," said Smith, "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."

The last time Lilly was aware of the world around her, Bill Clinton was in office. When she 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 was alert and talking. "I think it's wonderful. It makes me so happy," Lilly told KKTV.

Lilly had awakened four other times for briefer periods since 2000, but never with the clarity evident this week.

Lilly was surprised to find out her youngest daughter is now 12, and that she is a grandmother — the oldest of her grandchildren is 6.

Her neurologist, Dr. Randall Bjork, said he couldn't explain how or why she awoke.

"This is a miracle," exclaimed Lilly's neurologist, Dr. Randall Bjork. He said he's as surprised as everyone else. "This is all mystical and I can't explain it."

Before her relapse on Wednesday, Lilly told KKTV her biggest frustration was learning how to talk again.

After years of being fed from a tube, eating was no problem. "I've been eating cake," she said.

Following her relapse, Dr. Bjork said Christa is minimally conscious, a slightly better state than other notable cases like Terry Schiavo. He said she could awaken again.

But information about her condition is minimal. "We do not have a name for this," Bjork said, "but I'll call it 'cyclical awakenings.'"

Smith says there is some small consolation when she has to say goodbye to her daughter again.

"The good Lord let me know she's alright, he brings her back to visit every so often and I'm thankful for that," Smith said.

"Hopefully, next time she comes out it will be for good, to stay." She said.

In the meantime, Minnie will continue caring for Christa: doing what a mother does best. "I never gave up on my daughter and I never will," she said.

[agnim]

"Does anyone think Terry Schiavo "wanted" to be starved to death?

Posted by Hermit22 at 11:19 PM : Mar 08, 2007"

Maybe they should have clubbed her to death? LOL

[susanhelit]

Funny, bringing up Bush - he's the one who does make laws to say that life support must be withdrawn in hopeless cases - or didn't you guys care about the little baby, with more brain and hope than Terri, that the law Bush campaigned for and signed as governor of Texas, forcibly pulled the plug, even with his mother desperately trying to keep him alive.

Liberals just happen to believe in listening to experts, science, REALITY - so Terri was a completely different case than this much more fortunate person.

[hermit22]

Does anyone think Terry Schiavo "wanted" to be starved to death?

[canaima]

Get a friggin' life, virsago.

[virsavo]

Dr Randall Bjork contributed to the Bush campaign
His diagnosis and claims are very likely colored by his political views:
http://www.fundrace.org/neighbors.php?addr=&search=Search+by Location&type=loc&zip=80906
Dr. Randall J Bjork
Neurologist
Colorado Springs Neuro. Assoc.
RNC $2,050 1401 Winfield Ave
Colorado Springs, CO 80906

[virsavo]

Dr Randall Bjork contributed to the Bush campaign
His diagnosis and claims are very likely colored by his political views:
http://www.fundrace.org/neighbors.php?addr=&search=Search+by Location&type=loc&zip=80906
Dr. Randall J Bjork
Neurologist
Colorado Springs Neuro. Assoc.
RNC $2,050 1401 Winfield Ave
Colorado Springs, CO 80906

[virsavo]

Dr Randall Bjork contributed to the Bush campaign
His diagnosis and claims are very likely colored by his political views:
http://www.fundrace.org/neighbors.php?addr=&search=Search+by Location&type=loc&zip=80906
Dr. Randall J Bjork
Neurologist
Colorado Springs Neuro. Assoc.
RNC $2,050 1401 Winfield Ave
Colorado Springs, CO 80906

[virsavo]

Dr Randall Bjork contributed to the Bush campaign
His diagnosis and claims are very likely colored by his political views:

http://www.fundrace.org/neighbors.php?addr=&search=Search+by Location&type=loc&zip=80906
Dr. Randall J Bjork
Neurologist
Colorado Springs Neuro. Assoc.
RNC
$2,050 1401 Winfield Ave
Colorado Springs, CO 80906

[ov442]

maybe if 5 years ago, someone would've permitted, and dedicated serious funding for research into stem cell use, we'd have a way to help this woman right now.

But alas, cases like these will continue to cause suffering and frustration for those involved. The most poignant part this article is that the woman now sees her youngest daughter is now 12 years old. and has a grandchild she didnt know was coming.

[apndrgn]

she can't come out of the vegatative state permanently because that would be guilding the lilly. anti oxidents like chocolate milk made from cocoa dialate brain vessels. she is being fed fom a tube and thinks she's eating cake. eyes wide open, blissfully eating cake.

[susanhelit]

Maybe someday we'll understand enough to help this woman wake up for good - or maybe whatever was damaged will heal or reroute enough to let her wake up.

janem4:
Why not just give Terri to her parents?

Because Terri didn't want it that way. Not too hard to understand - however badly they wanted to keep her a vegetable, she didn't want to be one. It's an act of pure love to go to those lengths to do what she'd want, when it would be so easy, when there's so much money offered to just give her away to people who will disregard her wishes.

[agnim]

"As for Schiavo, I still don't understand why her husband did not allow her parents to care for her. That's all.
Rochest-There are different degrees of vegetative states.
Posted by janem4 at 06:08 PM : Mar 08, 2007"

Schiavo was the HUSBAND'S responsibility until he surrenders it! And he did what he thought was best for his 'vegetable' female.

Maintaining someone mechanically is not a 'moral' obligation on man's part. It's a judgment call!

And what Schiavo did not want for himself (a non-compulsory vegetative state) HE DID NOT WANT FOR HIS WOMAN! That is a reasonable state of affairs.

[plowhandle]

BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THIS CASE AND TERRY SCHIAVO:

Schiavo's brain was MUSH - it had turned to primordial goo and was incapable of generating anything.

Don't let the fundamentalist nonsense-peddlers at CBS or any other news outlet tell it any differently.

[fascistusa]

It FEELS like America has been in a COMA for The Lord Bush Years.


THEY KILLED CAPTAIN AMERICA!!!

CAPTAIN AMERICA IS DEAD.

What better symbolism??

[agnim]

Posted by RandalDS at 03:08 PM : Mar 08, 2007

Bush won the presidency in November 2000. A coincidence? I think not!

Posted by Rafterman1 at 03:25 PM : Mar 08, 2007

LOL
Good ones! LOL

Should we take bets that this patient will come out of her coma when the bush comes out of the white house?

[agnim]

"I was talking of the scientific aspect of capacity of this extraordinary organ. The yogi know about the spiritual aspects.

Posted by grazinggoat at 03:50 PM : Mar 08, 2007"

What 'spiritual aspect'?

The Nervous System is a material object.

When the yogi consciously and deliberately makes his mind completely still, the Nervous System goes on 'autopilot'; just as when an animal hibernates, the Nervous System functions on 'low power'.

The case with this sick woman is that she is accidentally demonstrating the capacity of the Nervous System to operate at a low threshold for a very extended period.

[grazinggoat]

Not 'unknown' to the yogis for thousands of year! OK?

The Nervous System can be consciously and deliberately put on autopilot for an indefinite period!

In this woman's case, we have the rare and 'accidental'/hit or miss situation, not likely to be repeated often.
Posted by Agnim

-Agnim,
I was talking of the scientific aspect of capacity of this extraordinary organ. The yogi know about the spiritual aspects.

[rochest]

commas and vegetative states are all different however in this case this woman is being cared for at home by her family and there is no inheritance money being talked about ..... private matter different circumstances then Terry S the fact that she awakens periodically incredible and just goes to show how much we don't know about ourselves

[rochest]

commas and vegetative states are all different however in this case this woman is being cared for at home by her family and there is no inheritance money being talked about ..... private matter different circumstances then Terry S the fact that she awakens periodically incredible and just goes to show how much we don't know about ourselves

[rochest]

commas and vegetative states are all different however in this case this woman is being cared for at home by her family and there is no inheritance money being talked about ..... private matter different circumstances then Terry S the fact that she awakens periodically incredible and just goes to show how much we don't know about ourselves