Kaunda Selisho

By Kaunda Selisho

Journalist


Student learns about Covid-19 for the first time after waking up from coma

Doctors had to explain to 19-year-old British student, Joseph Flavill, why he could only see his mom from a distance and contact the rest of his family via video call.


Despite having contracted Covid-19 twice while in a comatose state, 19-year-old British student, Joseph Flavill, only recently found out that everyone else has been living under quarantine and global lockdown for the past year or so.

All4Women reported that Flavill was sent into a coma after he was hit by a car not too far from his home in Staffordshire, England. He had been studying for his upcoming exams at The de Ferrers Academy in Burton, when he was involved in the accident.

Prior to waking up, he had been in a coma for 11 months as he healed from a brain injury.

He began his recovery at a hospital and was later moved to a neurological rehabilitation centre.

His caregivers shared how, after some time, he began smiling and moving his limbs while in his state and this was taken as a sign of his improving state. He eventually opened his eyes, giving the family hope that he was coming to.

ALOS READ: Mom gives birth to healthy baby while in medically induced coma due to Covid-19

Thanks to Covid-19 restrictions and regulations, only his mother was able to visit him in hospital.

He could only contact the rest of his family via video call. According to Flavill’s aunt, Sally Flavill-Smith, his face would light up whenever they were on a call.

His family and medical team then realised that they would need explain the reason for all the distancing and restrictions to him because he had no idea about the pandemic.

Thanks to all the interest in his story, Sally started a GoFundMe page where supporters can track Joesph’s progress, and according to reports, he is receiving an immense amount of support.

The family is also documenting his recovery on the Joseph’s Journey Facebook page.

Through their Joseph’s Journey campaign, the family have raised over £30,000 (around R612,000) to support the teen in his long-term recovery.

The road to recovery for Flavill is a long one, and the extent of his brain injury is not known according to his family, but he is on the right track.

We write this week with some amazing news on Joe! He is really engaging with all of your messages and he has started to…

Posted by Joseph’s Journey on Sunday, 31 January 2021

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