A woman from Michigan who slipped into an "irreversible coma" following a car accident in September 2017 woke up laughing at her mother's joke on August 25, 2022—only a few days ago.

Peggy Means, Mrs. Flewellen's mother, said she was surprised: "When she woke up, it scared me at first because she was laughing and she had never done that." Means described the moment as a dream come true, feeling like a closed door had opened, reuniting them.

Jennifer Flewellen, comatose for five years, now fights to speak and walk again. A GoFundMe campaign looks to help her with a handicap van and home modifications. Peggy Means said that although Jennifer is awake, initially she couldn't talk, but over time she showed improvement.

Dr. Ralph Wang with Michigan's Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital described Jennifer's progress as incredibly rare, something only a small percentage of patients display after waking up from a coma.

Jennifer's son, Julian, was elated to have his mother back, especially as she showed up for his football game, where he was his loudest cheerleader. Her appearance at the game triggered more therapy at Mary Free Bed, and Peggy Means was with her daughter all through her stay in the hospital.