Australian cricketer Damien Martyn has made a miraculous turnaround following his shock diagnosis with meningitis, with hopes he may soon be discharged from hospital now he has woken from an induced coma.
The 54-year-old was admitted to Gold Coast University Hospital after falling sick on Boxing Day, Nine reported, beingput into a coma to treat the illness.
Former teammate and team captain Adam Gilchrist told Code Sports the sportsman is making an unexpectedly speedy recovery since waking up over the weekend.
“He has responded extraordinarily well since coming out [of the coma] to the point where his family feels it’s some sort of miracle.”
Gilchrist said Martyn has already begun speaking and is responding to treatment.
“It has been so positive that they’re hopeful he will be able to move out of the ICU into another part of the hospital which is representative of what a great recovery it’s been and how quickly it has flipped around.”
Meningitis, an inflammation around the brain and spinal cord, can prove fatal.
Former teammate Adam Gilchrist said Damien Martyn is having an "unbelievable" recovery after waking from his coma. Photo / Hamish Blair, Getty Images
Gilchrist described the 2003 ODI World Cup winner’s improvement as “unbelievable”, sharing Martyn’s partner’s belief the public support had contributed.
“Amanda just really wants to say to everyone she is convinced that the love, goodwill, and sense of care that they felt from everybody, via messages and via the coverage in the press really helped him.”
In a statement to the Courier Mail, Martyn’s family personally expressed their gratitude for the “incredible outpouring of support” from the cricketing community.
“We also want to express our deepest appreciation to the medical team at the Gold Coast University Hospital who have been nothing short of amazing throughout this challenging time.”
The Darwin-born batter played 67 Tests for Australia from 1992 to 2006, scoring 4406 runs including 13 centuries, according to Sky Sports.
He played for Western Australia, then the national team, before relocating to the Gold Coast following his retirement from international cricket during the 2006 - 2007 Ashes.
