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Mother-of-four awakes from coma when her heartbroken husband played songs from their wedding day (despite being asked to say his last goodbye)
A mother-of-four left on the brink of death after a devastating stroke was woken from a coma by her husband playing their favourite wedding songs.
Maria Neal, 48, suddenly collapsed on her husband Steve's 46th birthday in March and suffered a stroke on the way to hospital.
She was put on a life-support machine and doctors told her family to prepare for the worst.
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Maria Neal (centre) suffered a stroke while celebrating her husband Steve's 46th birthday (pictured, clockwise from left, Krystie, Kieran, Krystie's boyfriend, Kurtis, husband Steve and Kameron)
Medics sent scans of her brain to experts at King's College Hospital and warned she would die if she could not be transferred.
The London hospital agreed to admit Maria and she was airlifted for last-ditch brain surgery and then put in an induced coma after the two-hour op.
Doctors weaned off her sedatives over five days but after another two days she was still unconscious and showing little signs of life.
Steve, daughter Kyrstie, 20, and their three sons Kurtis, 18, Keiran, 16 and Kameron, 14, spent hours at her bedside vainly trying to coax her out of her coma.
On the seventh day devoted Steve then decided to play their two favourite songs, Unchained Melody by the Righteous Brothers and Simply Red's If You Don't Know Me By Now, which they danced to at their wedding 21 years ago.
To his delight within an hour of Maria showed the first sign of response, moving her arm and gently nodding.
Over the next two days she began to respond more and opened her eyes on the eighth day of her coma.
After that she was able to hold a pen and communicate by writing odd words, such as 'H2O' when she wanteda glass of water. Two weeks after the operation Maria started speaking again with her family.
Daughter Kyrstie, 20, said: 'We spent hours talking to her and trying to find anything that we thought would stimulate a response.
'Dad downloaded their wedding songs onto his phone and played them to mum with tears rolling from his face onto hers.
'This broke my heart but she started to move her right arm and a couple of days after this she started nodding.'
Despite Maria's progress doctors have warned her family that she will never fully recover from the crippling stroke.
Steve, a cabbie, said: 'I wanted to try and get some response. If anything was going to wake her up then it would be that.
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After seven days doctors told Steve to expect the worst, but after he played Maria her two favourite wedding songs she showed signs of response and woke up a day later
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While he was playing the songs Mrs Neal began moving her arm and then gently nodding, regained consciousness a day later and is now able to write and speak
'After about an hour of playing the song she showed signs of movement. I was absolutely delighted, you're on cloud nine.
'The doctors then bring you back down to earth when they say that's as good as it's going to get.
'It is life-changing for her and it is life-changing for me. To what degree? I don't know that at the moment.
'I can't really put into words how I feel. She is my life partner, we have had a very close relationship and we have always been together.'
Maria spent two weeks recovering at King's before being returned to Darent Valley Hospital near her home in Kent for a further two weeks.
She is now an in-patient on a specialist stroke rehab unit at Gravesham Community Hospital and is allowed to return home occasionally for an hour or so.
However, doctors say Maria will now have to live with a disability for the rest of her life.
She will have limited movement but it is hoped she will be able to walk around her home in Gravesend and retain some of her independence.
Her family are now desperately trying to raise £30,000 to convert their home by turning the ground floor into a living space for her with wet room, suitable kitchen and wheelchair access to the garden.
Steve said: 'She gets to see the kids, stroke the dog and see her personal things. It really helps her.
'Her progress is very, very good. A few weeks ago she couldn't tell the time or remember what I had said to her five minutes earlier.
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While Maria is now out of her coma, the stoke has left her disabled and the family are in the process of fining £30,000 to covert the bottom floor of their house for her to use
'Now she can do that and physically she is getting there, although her left side is very weak.
'No one has actually said what the prognosis is long term but three medical professionals have each said she is a miracle.'
He added: ''When she was first taken ill I took the kids in to say goodbye. It was one of the worst moments of my life.
'Doctors literally told us to plan for the worst and hope for the best".'
Kyrstie said : 'The long term goal is that mum will return back where she belongs so that our house once again becomes a home.
'Any donation will be received with true heartfelt thanks and appreciation. Every day my dad would say to my mum "if you win your battle, then we will win the war".
'My mum has done her part in winning the battle so please help us win the war and get her back home where she belongs.'
A Darent Valley Hospital spokesman said: 'We are delighted to hear that Mrs Neal has recovered from her coma and is now doing so well.
'When she initially came to Darent Valley we were very concerned for her welfare and immediately transferred her to Kings. We wish her the very best for the future."
A King's College Hospital spokesman added: 'For Maria to awake from her coma after Steven played her their wedding songs is a wonderful outcome. We're glad to hear that her recovery is progressing well.'
Read more: Maria Neal awakes from coma when husband played wedding songs | Mail Online
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
- Maria Neal, 48, collapsed while celebrating husband Steve's 46th birthday
- She suffered a stoke in the ambulance while on the way to hospital
- Mother-of-four had to have brain surgery and was put into induced coma
- Medics tried to wake her but after seven days family told to expect the worst
- Mr Neal played two wedding songs and she started moving arm and nodding
- She is now able to write and speak, but is still recovering in hospital
A mother-of-four left on the brink of death after a devastating stroke was woken from a coma by her husband playing their favourite wedding songs.
Maria Neal, 48, suddenly collapsed on her husband Steve's 46th birthday in March and suffered a stroke on the way to hospital.
She was put on a life-support machine and doctors told her family to prepare for the worst.
+5
Maria Neal (centre) suffered a stroke while celebrating her husband Steve's 46th birthday (pictured, clockwise from left, Krystie, Kieran, Krystie's boyfriend, Kurtis, husband Steve and Kameron)
Medics sent scans of her brain to experts at King's College Hospital and warned she would die if she could not be transferred.
The London hospital agreed to admit Maria and she was airlifted for last-ditch brain surgery and then put in an induced coma after the two-hour op.
Doctors weaned off her sedatives over five days but after another two days she was still unconscious and showing little signs of life.
Steve, daughter Kyrstie, 20, and their three sons Kurtis, 18, Keiran, 16 and Kameron, 14, spent hours at her bedside vainly trying to coax her out of her coma.
On the seventh day devoted Steve then decided to play their two favourite songs, Unchained Melody by the Righteous Brothers and Simply Red's If You Don't Know Me By Now, which they danced to at their wedding 21 years ago.
To his delight within an hour of Maria showed the first sign of response, moving her arm and gently nodding.
Over the next two days she began to respond more and opened her eyes on the eighth day of her coma.
After that she was able to hold a pen and communicate by writing odd words, such as 'H2O' when she wanteda glass of water. Two weeks after the operation Maria started speaking again with her family.
Daughter Kyrstie, 20, said: 'We spent hours talking to her and trying to find anything that we thought would stimulate a response.
'Dad downloaded their wedding songs onto his phone and played them to mum with tears rolling from his face onto hers.
'This broke my heart but she started to move her right arm and a couple of days after this she started nodding.'
Despite Maria's progress doctors have warned her family that she will never fully recover from the crippling stroke.
Steve, a cabbie, said: 'I wanted to try and get some response. If anything was going to wake her up then it would be that.
+5
After seven days doctors told Steve to expect the worst, but after he played Maria her two favourite wedding songs she showed signs of response and woke up a day later
+5
While he was playing the songs Mrs Neal began moving her arm and then gently nodding, regained consciousness a day later and is now able to write and speak
'After about an hour of playing the song she showed signs of movement. I was absolutely delighted, you're on cloud nine.
'The doctors then bring you back down to earth when they say that's as good as it's going to get.
'It is life-changing for her and it is life-changing for me. To what degree? I don't know that at the moment.
'I can't really put into words how I feel. She is my life partner, we have had a very close relationship and we have always been together.'
Maria spent two weeks recovering at King's before being returned to Darent Valley Hospital near her home in Kent for a further two weeks.
She is now an in-patient on a specialist stroke rehab unit at Gravesham Community Hospital and is allowed to return home occasionally for an hour or so.
However, doctors say Maria will now have to live with a disability for the rest of her life.
She will have limited movement but it is hoped she will be able to walk around her home in Gravesend and retain some of her independence.
Her family are now desperately trying to raise £30,000 to convert their home by turning the ground floor into a living space for her with wet room, suitable kitchen and wheelchair access to the garden.
Steve said: 'She gets to see the kids, stroke the dog and see her personal things. It really helps her.
'Her progress is very, very good. A few weeks ago she couldn't tell the time or remember what I had said to her five minutes earlier.
+5
+5
While Maria is now out of her coma, the stoke has left her disabled and the family are in the process of fining £30,000 to covert the bottom floor of their house for her to use
'Now she can do that and physically she is getting there, although her left side is very weak.
'No one has actually said what the prognosis is long term but three medical professionals have each said she is a miracle.'
He added: ''When she was first taken ill I took the kids in to say goodbye. It was one of the worst moments of my life.
'Doctors literally told us to plan for the worst and hope for the best".'
Kyrstie said : 'The long term goal is that mum will return back where she belongs so that our house once again becomes a home.
'Any donation will be received with true heartfelt thanks and appreciation. Every day my dad would say to my mum "if you win your battle, then we will win the war".
'My mum has done her part in winning the battle so please help us win the war and get her back home where she belongs.'
A Darent Valley Hospital spokesman said: 'We are delighted to hear that Mrs Neal has recovered from her coma and is now doing so well.
'When she initially came to Darent Valley we were very concerned for her welfare and immediately transferred her to Kings. We wish her the very best for the future."
A King's College Hospital spokesman added: 'For Maria to awake from her coma after Steven played her their wedding songs is a wonderful outcome. We're glad to hear that her recovery is progressing well.'
Read more: Maria Neal awakes from coma when husband played wedding songs | Mail Online
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
