Thursday 22 August 2013

Manager awakes from coma when told his team won



A football manager with serious injuries awoke from an induced coma when his wife told him his team had won their first match of the season.

Wayne Thorne, boss of Larkhall Athletic FC in Bath, suffered a ruptured artery in his heart, 16 crushed ribs and fractures to his sternum, hip, pelvis and leg in a horrific car crash two weeks ago.

He was put into a coma while doctors carried out numerous operations, including major heart surgery, and miraculously regained consciousness when his wife Mandy told him his beloved Larkhill had won 4-3 away to Bridport.

"Football and sport and being active, that has been his life, so when he was in his coma we were told to talk to him.

"On the first Saturday Larkhall had a game and me and his brother told him the score and he opened his eyes.

"I know studies have shown that they can hear you and me and his brother truly believe he heard us. It was brilliant to see, because he absolutely loves his football and is so dedicated to Larkhall Athletic."

She also revealed his priority after the life-threatening crash was not to miss the game.


"We were told he was very lucky to be alive because of the force of the impact and the fact it had ruptured his main artery.

"I saw him on the Wednesday, straight after the crash, and he had refused pain relief to begin with, and was talking about missing the football.

"At that stage we didn’t realise the extent of his injuries, and we just wouldn’t have believed that long list of injuries."

Wayne faces a tough road to recovery. He must spent six weeks in bed while his ribcage heals, and is now battling a chest infection.

He paid tribute to the support he had received, telling the Bath Chronicle:

"I have been overwhelmed by the best wishes not only from all at Larkhall football club but by all of the clubs and people related to the football world across the South West, it’s helped me put it into perspective and it shows me when you need people they are there.

"I will in time be thanking all these people individually but the road I face in recovery is quite a long one but I will get there."

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