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The Day Donny Herbert Woke Up

A True Story

Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available
Donny Herbert was a hardworking Buffalo city firefighter who, in December 1995, was searching the attic of a burning house when the snow-laden roof collapsed. For six minutes he was without oxygen. A beloved husband, a father of four boys, Donny fell into a vegetative state that lasted nearly a decade. He was, for all practical purposes, gone. Until one day, in April 2005, when he woke up and spoke almost nonstop to his family and loved ones for nearly eighteen hours.
Here is the story of this remarkable moment, which was covered by the press worldwide. For his wife, Linda, it was a miracle. For his doctors and nurses, it was a medical mystery. For his sons–including his youngest, with whom he had never before had a conversation–it was a blessing. After his remarkable day, Donny Herbert fell into a deep sleep and never experienced a comparable moment of clarity. He died, in February 2006, from pneumonia.
Written by Linda’s cousin, THE DAY DONNY HERBERT WOKE UP makes the listener wonder: What brought Donny back? More than anything, Linda credits Donny himself–a man with the strength to will himself back into his family’s lives, if only to remind them one last time of how very much he loved them. This is as much Linda’s story–one of perseverance and faith–as it is of a remarkable husband, father, and firefighter.  
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    • AudioFile Magazine
      Buffalo fire fighter Donny Herbert was reduced to a vegetative state for nearly a decade after a home collapsed on him during a rescue. This powerful account of his experience is poignantly captured by narrator Kimberly Farr. She seems a natural choice for this audiobook--her firm, compassionate voice realizes Blake's story in a solid performance that puts the focus on Herbert, the way it should be. Farr relates the story in a sympathetic and engaging way but allows listeners to control their own emotions without feeling manipulated. Overall, this is a captivating and impassioned story. L.B. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      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.

    • Library Journal

      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

      Copyright 2008 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

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