Coma Miracle

Coma Miracle examines the fascinating phenomenon of patients in a persistent vegetative state, who have woken from their comas and communicated with their loved ones for just a few hours before slipping back into their previous state.

Miraculous as it might seem, this extraordinary turn of events resulted by accident, rather than groundbreaking neurological research. A GP administered a commonly used sleeping pill to his severely brain-damaged patient, Louis Viljoen. A previously athletic 24 year old, Louis suffered severe brain damage after being hit by a truck, but on being given a sedative containing Zolpidem, medical staff were astounded when Louis spoke for the first time in five years.

Louis isn't the only one - there are now a number of examples of patients being 're-born' thanks to the drug - people like Dianne Katz who has been in a minimally conscious state for two years having suffered two aneurisms, four brain operations and multiple strokes.

Coma Miracle joins Dianne as she takes the life changing drug for the very first time, with cameras catching the remarkable moment that she is able to communicate with her family for the first time since falling ill. Coma Miracle also travels to South Africa where medical trials are taking place, as doctors attempt to awaken yet more patients and measure their improvements, offering a fascinating insight into the drug and research which could change the lives of millions of people worldwide.