Australian cricket great Damien Martyn says he was given 50/50 chance of living after meningitis scare

Australian cricket great Damien Martyn has spoken for the first time since waking from an induced coma amid a battle with meningitis, saying he was given a 50/50 chance of surviving.

The 54-year-old was rushed to a Gold Coast hospital after falling ill on Boxing Day, spending eight days in a coma.

Martyn, who played 67 tests between 1992 and 2006, woke last week and has since left hospital.

In a heartfelt post on his social media accounts, Martyn thanked everyone who had supported him during the ordeal.

“My life was taken out of my hands,” he said. “Meningitis took over my brain and unbeknownst to me, I was placed into a paralysed coma for eight days to help me fight this awful disease.

“After being given a 50/50 chance of surviving, I came out of the induced coma eight days later ... not able to walk or talk. This experience has reminded me of how fragile life is, how quickly everything can change + how precious time is! Bring on 2026 ... I’m back!

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“A BIG thank you to ALL my family, friends and so many other people who have reached out to me. There are so many wonderful people in this world ... from paramedics [at Mermaid Waters Ambulance], doctors + nurses [at Gold Coast university hospital] ... to family, friends and people I didn’t even know.

“I feel like I met all these fantastic people in the past three weeks, or they reached out to me through messages of love and support.”

Along with his 67 tests, Martyn played 208 One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and four Twenty20 internationals.

He scored over 4000 runs in test cricket with an average of 46.4, with 23 centuries and over 5300 runs in ODIs.

He faced New Zealand in 12 test matches, scoring a total of 728 runs against the Black Caps and a high score of 165 in March 2005, the highest score of his career against any opponent in international cricket.

The match at the Basin Reserve in Wellington ended in a draw and was the second of Australia’s three-match tour of New Zealand in 2005.

Since retiring, Martyn has held various commentary positions and maintained a social media presence.

Symptoms of meningitis in adults and children

• A stiff, sore neck
• A sensitivity to light, or a dislike of bright lights (an early warning sign of meningitis)
• A severe headache
• If the child or adult is difficult to wake, or in a drowsy and confused state
• A fever, sometimes accompanied by cold hands and feet
• Aching sore joints
• Vomiting – a common symptom of meningitis in both children and adults
• Convulsive fits or seizures.