Featured Image Credit: Only Human/YouTube
Sarah Scantlin had been in a coma for 20 years when she miraculously awoke one day and begin speaking in a never-before-seen medical miracle.
Back in 1984, Scantlin was living the life of any 18 year old — going out with friends, laughing and getting through school.
This was all until one night, when a drunk driver tragically hit her.
This caused spinal cord damage and a serious head injury that sent her into a devastating coma.
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In an interview with CBS, Sarah's father, James Scantlin recalls how he was told that the daughter he had 'was gone'.
Typically people in a coma will begin to come around after a few weeks, so as time went on, her family became more and more resigned to the tragic fate that they would never speak to their daughter again.
So when Scantlin began to speak one day, doctors were utterly astonished.
One of the first people to visit Scantlin after she woke was her best friend Lori Shockley, who had been making the three-hour trip to visit her in hospital since she went into the coma 20 years prior.
After meeting Scantlin in 6th grade, the two grew up best friends, with an incredibly close sister-like relationship.
The usually somber trip to visit Scantlin was anything but on the day she was reunited with her best friend, excitedly she walked into the room where Shockley was waiting with a hilariously 'savage' first comment.
After seeing the joy on Scantlin's face upon seeing her best friend, Shockley gave her a big hug and asked: "What's new about me today?"
To which Scantlin replied: "You're old."
Giggling, Shockley responded: "Am I?! Because that would make you old too Sarah."
Scantlin last saw Shockley as an 18-year-old girl, so her surprise at seeing her friend suddenly 20 years older is certainly warranted.
After 20 years in a coma, unfortunately Scantlin didn't have the same abilities she did before the accident. Her joints had seized and her speech was slurred as her muscles had laid unused for so long.
Despite her physical abilities changing, Shockley says 'the Sarah that's with us today is very much the same Sarah that was with us 20 years ago'.
In a heartwarming moment Shockley asks Scantlin: "Who's your best friend?" To which Scantlin simply replies: "You."
Since waking up from the comatose state, Scantlin made slow but steady improvements in her speech and in an remarkable clip is shown to sing 'Happy Birthday' to her father for the first time in 22 years.
Sadly, Scantlin passed away in May 2016 from reported respiratory issues and failing blood pressure, but her incredible story remains an inspiration.
