A man who astonished medical professionals by awakening from a 244-day coma has tragically passed away after being struck by a pickup truck.
Drew Kohn left doctors in awe when he emerged from his coma in late 2017, following a 244-day period of unconsciousness that began after he had an accident while riding his motorcycle to the gym in Florida.
The incident occurred just days before his 23rd birthday, resulting in Drew being hit by a car and rendered unconscious.
The collision was so severe that it dislodged his helmet and one of his shoes. Drew sustained a traumatic brain injury, two impaled lungs, and fractures to his shoulder, pelvis, and ribs, among other injuries.
He was quickly transported to the hospital, but doctors initially believed Drew was brain dead and would never regain the ability to walk or talk.
His mother, Yolanda Osborne-Kohn, shared with First Coast News that doctors were considering ‘harvesting his organs,’ but she refused to give up on her son.
For five months, doctors continued their care for Drew, after which he was moved—still in a coma—to his mother’s home, where she leaned on her faith to remain hopeful.
“It was because of my faith that gave me the boldness to speak up and push back and let them know ‘you’re not getting a toenail or an eyelash’,” she said.
Drew remained unresponsive for months until he miraculously woke up after 244 days and reassured his mom that he was ‘okay’.
“I love you, mom,” he said.
That was seven years ago, and Drew subsequently undertook the challenge of relearning how to walk with assistance from a team at Brooks Rehab.
Sadly, his life was abruptly ended on Friday (27 July) when he was struck by a pickup truck at approximately 5:30am local time.
This tragic incident occurred just days before what would have been Drew’s 30th birthday.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office reported that the driver involved did not see Drew walking on the road and promptly stopped to call 911 following the accident.
The driver is cooperating fully with the authorities, who do not believe that speed or impairment contributed to the crash.
While Drew’s passing is deeply tragic, his mother finds some solace in knowing he is no longer in pain.
“Drew is healed, walking, not struggling to keep his balance,” she explained. “His arm is probably lifted so high saying ‘Thank you, Jesus!’ Drew probably has a football in one hand and a Bible in the other.”
“God honored my request, and I’m not mad,” she added, referring to the additional years she was granted with her son following his initial accident.
In response to Drew’s death, his family has established a GoFundMe page to assist with covering funeral expenses and the medical bills accrued during his hospitalization.