Man who wakes from coma dubbed a 'medical miracle'

Aiden Sayer. Photo / Supplied

The young Wairarapa man who was seriously injured last month in a workplace accident has woken from his coma.

20-year-old Masterton welder Aiden Sayer was placed in an induced coma after he was knocked unconscious and his ear was severed in an accident.

Doctors are saying his recovery so far has been a "medical miracle".

Aiden's aunt Koren Sutherland says the family were told that it is very rare to see someone with his degree of injuries to recover the way he has and to where they suspect he can recover to.

"He's in great spirits," Sutherland says.

Aiden is improving day-by-day but has a long road of recovery ahead of him, including physio work, surgery to rebuild his ear which was sliced off and rehab where he will "retrain his brain" including learning to walk and write again.

"This part of his journey will take time and a lot of effort on his part," she says.

The already lean and six-foot-eight 20-year-old lost 20 kgs in two and a half weeks while in a coma.

"He's bones with skin," she says. "He has no strength whatsoever."

Aiden Sayer. Photo / Supplied

But he's making progress, says Sutherland, and that's giving the family hope.

He stood up by himself for two minutes recently, and that was a big step forward, she adds.

Aiden's bedside support team has been reduced to mainly just mum Vania now, with the hospital tightening up on visitors amid Covid-19.

But Sutherland keeps in touch with Aiden by sending him short videos.

She was shocked recently when she received a text from Aiden from his hospital bed.

"Eight weeks ago I thought I'd never see that," she adds.

"He's talking," she says. "His sense of humour is there."