August 27, 2007
Journalist Blake's gripping true story about a 34-year-old Buffalo firefighter who regained consciousness after nearly 10 years patiently records a family's heroic grief and fortitude. Trapped under a collapsed roof in a burning house in 1995 and deprived of oxygen for six minutes, Donny Herbert suffered severe anoxic brain injury and lapsed into a long, largely unresponsive, nonspeaking state. His wife, Linda, and four young sons prayed diligently and reached out to their Catholic community, and over the years tried different forms of rehab for Donny, including intensive therapy and new drugs. However, he remained more or less unchanged, and the doctors predicted a vegetative state for the rest of his life. Finally, Linda took him to Dr. Jamil Ahmed, who experimented with Donny's medications, and on a stupendous day in 2005, Donny simply started talking again. The family, overjoyed, was hastily assembled, and for a few days Donny caught up on nine years of family history; the fit of talking eventually subsided, and Donny died the next year. Blake, a cousin of Linda, offers a restrained version of events, frequently tying Donny's recovery to divine intervention, though the miraculous events are spare in relation to the enormous span of time anticipating Donny's recovery.
June 1, 2008
Listeners may remember the 2005 media accounts of Buffalo firefighter Donny Herbert's miraculous awakening after ten years in a coma. At 34, the family man with four sons suffered a traumatic brain injury after being trapped under the collapsed roof of a burning building. Deprived of oxygen for six minutes, he faced a poor prognosis. He seemed to recover a little, then lapsed into an unresponsive state, despite extensive efforts by his family and doctors. His wife, Linda, heroic in her own right, took care of the family, trying to give their boys a normal life while making sure her husband had the best care available. Then ten years after the accident, when most of those involved had given up hope, Herbert began to speak. Linda gathered the family together as quickly as she could, amazed as her husband caught up on family history, talking far into the night. But the miracle was short-lived: Herbert's talking decreased, and he died a year later from pneumonia. Journalist Blake (Talking Proud), a cousin of Linda Herbert's, tells the story with novelistic fervor, keeping suspense high and even including a subplot about the possible intervention of a dead priest on the path to sainthood. The focus on Buffalo history and the details of family life in Catholic Buffalo, even including high school football rivalries, helps put Herbert's situation in perspective. Unfortunately, Blake devotes more space than necessary to the buildup of the firefighter's awakening. Nonetheless, it is a remarkable story. Kimberly Farr's reading is clear and convincing; this work will appeal to those who enjoy human interest stories with supernatural overtones. Recommended for large public libraries.Nancy R. Ives, SUNY at Geneseo
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