Mom miraculously wakes up from 5-year coma giggling at what her mother said in her ear

Humor can be really helpful for people to deal with stressful situations in their lives. Cracking a joke can be incredibly helpful in alleviating any stress that one might be feeling. Humor was exactly what helped Jennifer Flewellen, hailing from Niles, Michigan. Flewellen had slipped into a coma after she had a major car crash. Everything changed when her mother, Peggy Means, told her a joke, and she began to laugh, effectively snapping her out of her coma.

In an interview with PEOPLE, Means said, "When she woke up, it scared me at first because she was laughing and she had never done that." She stated how the unthinkable recovery had happened, bringing her a lot of joy. The major development happened in 2022, after which Flewellen has constantly tried to start speaking again and moving around as well. She has a GoFundMe campaign to help her purchase a handicap can and to remodel her home.

Her mother mentioned how the laugh did not fully wake her up. The woman still could not sleep, but she could nod her head. Means said, "She would still sleep a lot right at first, but then as the months would go by, she would get stronger and be more awake." Dr. Ralph Wang, who treated Flewellen, mentioned how such a recovery was a rare occurrence. He shared how very few patients actually woke up and made such quick developments.

Flewellen had her accident on the 25th of September 2017. It was in the morning when she had dropped off her three young boys at school and began heading to work at Bittersweet Pet Resorts. Around 8:23 AM, she ended up in the accident where she crashed into a utility pole, according to a local news report. The accident was a fluke as she was not overspeeding or under the influence of alcohol.

The accident caused her to fall into a coma for five years. Her mother had to retire from her job to take care of her. She visited Flewellen every day, hoping that her daughter would eventually respond to her. When she cracked the joke and began to notice a reaction from Flewellen, she recorded a video and sent it to the rest of the family. The next day, her sons showed up and talked to her.

Julian, the youngest of the three, stated how it was very difficult for their mother to learn that her boys had become adults and two of them had even graduated from school. He said, "We've talked about the time that she's missed, and we try not to because it makes her upset." Her mother offers her a more optimistic mindset, mentioning how she cannot be sad as it would prevent her from moving on with life. Flewellen achieved a major milestone in October when she went to see Julian's football game at his school.

The boy was overjoyed to have her witness him in action. He said, "She was my biggest supporter. So to have my biggest supporter back on the sidelines cheering me on, it was a surreal moment." The mother continues to make an active effort to get back to her normal life. She still needs assistance with most things in life but has made significant progress over time. Flewellen will hopefully return to a normal life with her three boys and mother soon.

Editor's note: This article was originally published on December 29, 2023. It has since been updated.