Readers of SHS and my other work know that Zolpidem—which goes by the brand name Ambien—can sometimes awaken people who have been diagnosed as permanently unconscious. Here is the story in the Daily Mail of another such “miracle” in the UK:
A woman who has been in a coma for the past six years is slowly coming back to life after being given sleeping pills. Amy Pickard, from Hastings in East Sussex, was only 17 when she slipped into a coma in 2001.
However now, after being given over-the-counter miracle pill Zolpidem, her devoted mum Thelma says the “old sparkle” has returned to her daughter’s eyes…
Speaking today, Thelma, 54, said: “She is changing and it is amazing.
“When she takes the pill, I see her face relax and the old sparkle return to her eyes. It’s incredible.”Amy is one of 360 people taking part in a worldwide revolutionary drugs trial which could see coma patients “miraculously” come back to life.
Well, I don’t like the term “come back to life” since they weren’t dead. But never mind. Much is happening in this field and the time has certainly come to stop dehydrating the unconscious. If their inherent value as human beings isn’t enough not to terminate these lives, perhaps the hope for an efficacious treatment to awaken the unconscious are, finally, at hand. According to the story, 60% of the people treated with the drug so far have exhibited benefit. Wow.
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