10 years. 10 years, guys. Just imagine waking up tomorrow, and it's 2031

“She brought him to holidays and birthdays” ... that woman truly loves that man.

The fact that he felt so sad because he felt like he abandoned his family, not because he's missed so much of the world's changes, speaks so much about him. I bet he was an amazing father and husband while he had the chance. RIP.

Life is bittersweet. Survived the fire, survived the brain trauma but died just trying to do something many of us take for granted. Heart wrenching.

She stayed with him for a decade. She never gave up on him. That’s a true wife🥺

Him falling out of bed and suffering another brain injury is just so sad. He didn’t deserve that at all.

I think something that people are missing is the fact this poor man wakes up to learn he's BLIND then learns he's been gone for 10 years. That's so brutal.

I can tell you one thing. That’d be the greatest memory I’d die with. Real friends and family still holding out for you after 10 years. Real family right there.

His wife is a real one. She held the family DOWN for a decade.

If this were a movie, it’s one of those endings I would never forgive the writers for.

This is honestly amazing. How we understand these types of injuries change. There’s always hope honestly

I had a similar experience with my grandfather. He was in a coma for several months at a rehab/nursing home. I would visit him a few times per week, where I just sat next to him hoping that he would be able to sense I was there trying to comfort him… Then one day when I walked into his room his eyes were open, and he was looking around. I was astounded! For several months his eyes were closed, he couldn’t talk or move his arms or legs. And now he was looking straight at me, while moving his legs back and forth and periodically shifting his arms. He snapped out of his coma for one day, and then the very next day he slipped into a coma again until he passed away a couple of months later. But during that one day when he awoke from the coma, it was such an amazingly profound experience. My grandpa was a gentle, soft spoken man, who was very kind. He wasn’t much of a talker, and his style of thought was very pragmatic based and without much pondering or creative musings. But during that one day when he snapped out of his coma, he spoke in a very philosophical manner. I was amazed, because it was so uncharacteristic of him. I could almost tangibly sense that my grandpa’s consciousness had transcended where it had been for the previous 77 years of his life. In our conversation we talked about life, about different paths of personal and spiritual development, and he told me numerous times to “keep my eyes clear.” I didn’t know exactly what he meant by that at the time… but interestingly enough, as life has taken big twists and turns in the ~15 years since his passing, that phrase has taken on a greater and clearer meaning. … there is definitely much more to consciousness than science currently suspects.

"How long have I been gone." Never in my life have I heard something so scary.

Imagine waking up and 10 years had passed. That would be absolutely terrifying.

My brother had suffered from a drug overdose in '08 that had left him in a coma and vegetable state. He couldnt walk, talk, was hooked up to a feeding tube to survive. We were told he wouldn't ever pull through and was told to basically just give up on him. Of course we couldnt do that he is our blood and family. We had him moved from the hospital to a rehabilitation center called Kessler where little by little he started to get a little better. Idk how familiar people are with comas but there are different stages. My brother was slowly waking out of it but still couldnt walk on his own or even put sentences together. He got frustrated and agitated and tired very easily. He stayed in Kessler for a little over a year. Then one day a miracle!! And it just so happend to be on Mothers Day. My mother and i went to go vist my brother. We wheeled him in his wheelchair into the dining area and all of a sudden he just snapped out of it, looked around and said "where am i!?" His doctors where so baffled by what had happened! It just goes to show the brain is a powerful thing! Today my brother is married and just had a son a little over a year ago! He had to learn how to walk, talk, feed and bath himself all over again. If you have a loved one that has been in a horrific accident and is in a coma, DONT give up on them!! I remember sitting next to my brother everyday after work/school playing his favorite music, playing snowboarding videos for him, showing him pictures of his dream star crush mila kunas and reminiscing of all the fun things we used to do together. There where a lot of stressful and painful moments watching him go through what he went though but i think having his loved ones around helped a lot! Prayers and love for the ones in comas and the families and friends that are sticking by their loved ones side.

Simon is what you call a brother from another mother. Guy has a heart of gold.

Imagine that, being asleep for 10 years and dying a year later. That’s the scariest and saddest thing I could experience.

That's probably the saddest thing I've ever seen. To be physically present, but mentally gone for 10 years, only to wake up for a brief moment and then lose it all over again. At least he got to talk to his family one last time.

that’s devastating, what a hero what a great father, what a true man

This literally feels like something currently happening in my life now. My stepfather was in a really bad accident in early December of last year, he was revived and went into a coma and then gradually went to a minimally conscious state, which he has been in for the past 5 months, he lives in a nursing home now and there is no sign of recovery for him just like the guy in this video. I empathize with the kids really hard right now, and while it would be a dream to even be able to hear him speak at all and for a "miracle" like in this video, I know this is a very rare case, unfortunately.

What a sad ending. His wife stayed with him for 10 years while he was in a coma and kept raising the boys. Wow.

The fact that he just died a year later by an accident is brutal and very strange that it's so little talked of in the video.

Imagine waking up feeling cloudy and confused and someone tells you you've been out for 10 years. I've woken up in a hospital before, after surgery still groggy from the drugs. I can almost imagine the sounds of the hospital slowly fading in and getting more discernible.. realizing I must be in a hospital, not knowing why and then getting that news.. must have been earth shattering

How miraculous! It was like he was dead and came back for a quick visit. And the fact that he was so conscious. Remembering voices and people, amazing! He got to be with them for a year.

She took her wedding vows seriously...and wow his boys look just like him

Let's not forget that this man is an absolute hero for risking his life as a firefighter. Much respect

I worked in a hospital for 10 years and I tell you all not to give on on your loved ones in a vegetative state too easily. I've seen so many recover in a matter of weeks after looking like there was no coming back, my own best friend included. The doctors said there was no bringing him back, the insurance company was telling his family they weren't going to pay for his care, but they didn't give up on him even if it meant going bankrupt and it paid off when he regained consciousness in couple weeks later.

He did everything possible and impossible to come back and say his goodbyes to the loved ones. Truly inspiring!

It really sucks that he only got to wake back up for a short time, but in some ways it must have been a relief to know his family was doing well before he passed.

His wife is a real, honorable, respectful and beautiful woman. She did not leave him no matter what.

The saddest thing that he passed away just 1 year later after coma

I feel so heart sick for this family. For his and for him. Poor man missing his entire family growing. I have tears down my face, I just wanna give them all a hug

Not sure how to feel about his passing. On one hand he could have passed without waking up and the family didn't get that year, but it almost feels even more cruel that he woke up and was taken away again.

Don isn’t just a man who woke up from a coma. He is a hero and a father.

Oh my God I am crying so hard right now. When he asked how long was I gone it tore me up and I started balling my eyes out.

This is just so sad, life is sometimes so harsh, this man seems so innocent and pure, fly high Herbert

That is quite possibly one of the most horrifying ways to leave this world.

He survived a horrific accident, a ten year coma and then passed away. He was not just a fire fighter, he was a life fighter.

That hug from Simon got me. That's some moment right there. A hug you never want to end

What a blessing to come bk & let his family know he loved them so much. What a miracle ♥️

I thought losing people was bad... Losing them twice must be devastating.

That is hands down possibly the shittest last 11 years of someone's life I've ever heard

This story brought tears to my eyes. I am so happy for his family, especially his kids, that they had this brief reunion with their dad. It is sad that he had another injury and passed away a year later.

Damn….. This has my eyes watering a lot…. The strength of love… you can tell he loved his family… he fought to come back & the first thing he asked was where’s his family & the second thing he asked was how long was I gone while hysterically crying because even while he was gone the thought of his family still was THERE!!! That’s because of LOVE!!!! 🖤🕊🙌🏽

That wife of his really took her wedding vows seriously. That is awesome. That commitment and loyalty are a testament of true love.

This is touching in every sense. What a family, what a man.

This video always makes me cry. Knowing one minute you’re saving people and hoping to get back your kids after. Next, you see your kids into grown men. All that time, lost to you and you wonder what happened to your kids. The lives you never got to watch them grow into. Just heart breaking

Can we just acknowledge what an incredibly strong woman she is for dealing with all these kids on her own and still taking care of her husband?

His family survived because of his wife. She's made him proud, he died knowing she loved him and she's the perfect mother. People should aspire to be someone like her.

My Immigrant grandmother was in a home after a stroke. I visited one day,age 22, and she awoke,looked at me and in perfect unaccented English had a conversation with me. Amazing.

This is heart warming and heart breaking at the same time. I hate he only got 1 year after he woke up but at least GOD gave him a little more time with his family before taking him home.

You know that feeling when you wake up from a nap and it’s the middle of the night? Imagine that 1000x

The pain on his face when he was asking how long he had been gone....omg. That was just awful. Poor guy. And the way his life ended? I cant internet anymore today.

I can’t imagine that phone call. “He’s awake and asking for you”. I would have dropped everything where I was, be it work, school, the grocery store, in another country, and gotten there as fast as possible.

So sad, I was almost at tears with this. Prayers for this family. 😔

I hope his wife has found peace at last. She's raised a beautiful family.

When they said he had an accident trying to get out of bed, that was like a punch in the gut. Dude's a fighter and a hero. My heart goes out to his family.

What a blessing to hear your family again after such a ordeal

This man had a whole family and still was willing to risk his life to save others... wow, what a huge sacrifice for humanity at large. Very grateful for all you firefighters, policeman, EMT, and military for putting your one life on the line, so people like me can live at home.

It's not like he died just after he recovered from comatose, it's more like Life let him see his family one last time to see how strong they've grown before he was finally whisked away.

Laying in bed already depressed KZfaq: hey look at this

I remember seeing this two days after my 17th birthday. Was great to see the kids talk to their dad I'm very glad I get to talk to mine daily.

Many wonderful, heart-felt comments about Don. I felt so sad watching this but couldn't help feeling absolutely sad for the family. To have him back after 10 years only to lose him forever was a cruel blow. At least they all experienced great joy even though it was short.

“How long have I been gone?!” That hits different. Like he knew what happened and was desperately trying to get back to his wife and kids. RIP to this great man and all the blessings to his family.

He wakes up after 10 years with a miracle.Tries to walk, falls gets another brain injury and dies after a year....Is this fate's sick joke or an oppurtunity to say goodbye? Edit: Thank you guys for all your likes and replies.

I think it’s a relief for him and his family that he did have contact with them before the end came. It was just a life cut short but it certainly wasn’t a life wasted or a futile life, it was life that gave love to those he cared for and his life was just as important to his family. He never left them and they never left him. It was just stolen time by his injury. What I saw was like a man who in his mind was still 40, but was suddenly trapped in the body of a blind 80 year old, and it wasn’t his brain injury that got him, it was the frailty that led to his fall and pneumonia which is how so many old people sadly pass away. I just keep thinking like everything got thrown into fast forward for him, and his family were standing still compared. But nothing ever does stand still of course. I am really glad he knew that they were all still there and doing OK, and that they loved him. Much love to the family.

This is heartbreaking and terrific at the same time

The pain in his face and voice when he realized he was gone for quite some time. That is heartbreaking.

When the firefighter in red shirt started crying hugging him. That got me. “10 years buddy”

Being a career firefighter this is absolutely gut wrenching. Tragic final outcome, but thank God he was able to reawaken see his family and friends before God called him back.😭❤🇺🇸

he came back just for say hello a last time what a legend . rest in peace grand monsieur

I almost cried seeing him talking first time He is a real hero

I wish that man had had a chance to enjoy life again with his family He wasn't even a 100% back when he left again

I am glad God granted this beautiful man to spend time with his family . I am sorry to hear he passed but God loved him more.

Having been through this with a family member …. The amazing neurologist simply said “the more I learn about the brain the less I know “ … some patients do recover perhaps not fully but the neurons just find different pathways . ❤️

'How long have i gone?' - break my heart.

He died with the memories that nobody gave up on him after all that time. He was there for birthdays and holidays and he has the pics to prove it. Those boys should know their dad is proud of them and the commitment from their mom will instill many wholesome values in their families!

All of his boys look just like him! 🥺

This is heartbreaking, makes me cry every time I watch, God bless this family

My godmother died. Her husband, a doctor, spent 6 hours trying to resuscitate her. His colleagues knew it was useless, but showed compassion by letting him try. She awoke as if nothing had changed. I have all the newspaper clippings. That was about 30 years ago.

My dad had a heart attack and was in a coma for a month. He woke up out of the coma with an anoxic brain injury. He was brought home to live with us for one year and 3 days! It was very hard to see him relearn to speak, walk, hold things. The day before he passed away he was doing everything by himself! I'm glad that we got to see him and spend some time with him before he went home! RIP dad!

I can't even imagine! Blessings for his family!

Don, you're quite an incredible father and man. I don't know anyone who I could truly consider a hero but you.

I’m overwhelmed at the devotion of his wife but even more so at the fact that this man’s tragedy was caused by him sacrificing his own well being as a fire fighter. In a way I’m reminded of last October when my dad was battling cancer and said to us one day “I’m dying.” And said his peace to us. His throat so swollen he could no longer eat or drink, his left eye blind and cocked to the side. It’s horrifying to see your loved one suffer to terribly. My heart goes out to his family. If there’s a heaven I hope him and my dad got to meet.

His wife is a queen. She held the family together for a decade while he was fighting in his own mind. Amazing people.

If you ever think you have it bad in life, just remember this guy.

My god. Don was a strong, determined man. I thought my coma was long 😢 After I came out of the coma, a week after regaining conciousness and lucidity, I went into a frozen state unable to move, only blink(It came on over ten hour period I felt my responses shutting down). I came out after a week, it was hard to know why. But I was in there, I think people thought I wasn't. Well I know, they looked at me and said 'we know you are in there' but I knew they didn't believe it. That week was frustrating and awful. Yet my time of paralysis post coma was nothing compared to this man. Don Herbert, what a brave strong man, rest in peace and freedom.

He said how long have I been gone… glad he wasn’t there trapped inside his mind and fully aware of it for 10 years… that would have been awful.

I feel so heartbroken for him, the wife and kids. The way he broke down crying made me want to hug him so much. I can’t imagine how awful it would be to wake up and find you missed 10 years of your life and your kids had grown up. Then to be blind and confined to a chair struggling to speak. If it were me, I would have just wanted to go.

Gosh that hit me so hard that the father was so sad that he lost a lot of time, especially hearing the youngest son all grown up. I hope that he is well now on the other side, and actually being able to visit his family spiritually by their side even though the family can't see him he will always be there by their side 😇❤️❤️❤️

You are all lucky to have that short time with husband/ dad. Sorry for your loss. I wish you all GOOD LUCK and Long lives. Thanks for telling your story.

So this ruined my day. Jesus. My heart goes out to this guy. I’m not an emotional man but I teared up immediately when he asked how long he was gone. Christ that’s depressing. At least he got to hold his boys one more time and they got to speak to their dad again.

The whole family never let him go and he came back for them. That’s what counts. Heart goes out to them all 2021.

This is an absolutely unbelievable story. I cannot fathom going to sleep for a decade and coming back and actually having a conscious state of mind with memory and alertness while being in a different world.

As a husband and father, I feel his pain for feeling like he abandoned them. The feeling would be overwhelming.

This feels like a sick joke. Like someone just played everyone and thought it was funny. I don't know what to feel. He died because he fell off the bed... after 10 years of being in a coma. It's so sad

I'm happy to hear that he got the chance to listen to his family, and know he didn't abandon anyone. I'm sorry to read that he passed away after falling and receiving another brain injury. That poor family. Losing him after all those years of waiting. At least they got the chance to see him, even if for a little while.

I can’t imagine the pain of waking up and talking to your fully grown son when you only knew him as a little boy. It would be incredibly confusing and hard to not blame yourself

Imagine how much it took Simon to say: "10 years" Seems like a loving friend. I'm glad this hero had all of these amazing people there to give him the love he deserved.

His death is not even sad, it actually makes me mad, how he woke up after 10 years JUST TO DIE SOON AFTER, from a fall that is not depressing that actually boils my blood, may he rest in piece, and his family is at least lucky to have spoken to him one last time