Meet The Woman Who Was ‘Locked In’ Her Own Body For 4 Years | Megyn Kelly TODAY

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Published 2018-04-25
Megyn Kelly TODAY welcomes Victoria Arlen and her mother, Jacqueline, who talk about Victoria’s four-year ordeal trapped inside her own body, aware of her surroundings but unable to communicate with the outside world after two rare conditions left her in a vegetative state. Victoria describes the moment she made her mother aware she was conscious of her, using only her eyes.
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Meet The Woman Who Was ‘Locked In’ Her Own Body For 4 Years | Megyn Kelly TODAY

All Comments (21)
  • I have a friend whose mother passed away last month from heart complications but she was in a coma for 20 years from a stroke. They weren’t sure if she could hear or understand anything. I met her in her coma and her eyes followed me around the room. I’m pretty sure she could hear and see. <3
  • I heard everything that was said around me when I was in a coma for 4 months. I also remember hearing the doctor's telling my mom and my sister that I wasn't going to wake up and if I did I would never be able to take care of myself and would need to be placed. I woke up 2 days later on the morning they were going to turn off my machines. I heard everything ..
  • 4 years in a bed unresponsive to re-awakened to 10 yrs in a wheel chair to Full health. Amazing.
  • @Music-xb2lx
    I got scared when I was in sleep paralysis for two minutes I can’t even imagine how she survived those 4 years.
  • @wondertwin13
    I am a survivor of “Locked in syndrome” as well. My episode lasted 3 months in 2016. I can’t imagine 4 years. I’m so happy you are still wigh us Victoria.
  • @Slayer-33
    Good on her for "going to survival mode" but she is lucky that her family didn't give in.
  • @Gasssolo
    She is fierce, witty and extremely positive and seemingly completely stable, and also so beautiful! Amazing.
  • @CaylaMarieeeeee
    I saw an older nurse lady speaking of her same experience of being locked in. She could hear the doctors and nurses saying it was time to take her off of life support. She was petrified. But her husband said NO were not giving up.

    He ultimately was her biggest advocate and she lived to tell her story. The doctors were amazed for her to repeat word for word what some had said to her or about her during that time... She even encountered a few unfriendly and mean nurses during that time. All which thought she couldn't hear them, and that couldn't have been furthest from the truth.

    That's why in the medical field they ask u to treat everyone as if They're aware and can hear and understand regardless if they can talk back or in a vegetative state. U just never know
  • @claudiaf.7302
    I was in a coma for a week and when I finally woke up and began recovering, I felt the same way and could not actively communicate. I could see from my family's faces that they feared I was going to be in a vegetative state or disabled forever. I was just trapped inside and had many issues, including connecting thoughts and verbalizing them. I also had short term memory loss and was in a state of panic and anxiety trying to understand what was happening. The nurses sedated me more than once because I had panic attacks from the realizations that I could not do things that I used to (hold a pen, write, etc). In the first month of recovery, my mother tried explaining to my doctors/therapists that she felt I was not present or the same person, but I was there, it just took a lot of time for me to come out. It's such a strange & traumatizing experience, and I admire Victoria's strength and ability to explain and talk about it openly. I'm glad I'm not the only one, and that there are others out there who understand. I only had to deal with it for a couple of weeks, but a whole 4 years would have been more tormenting.
  • @janetwhite7786
    It makes me panic just listening to this story! Wow. How strong is this girl?
  • @kindredkate8940
    Everyone hating on the doctors like “They have no idea what they’re doing!” when you have no idea either! They’re trying to figure it out from a variety of different illnesses, and her situation was unique. They tried their best, and it isn’t their fault that a miracle occurred. The reason they don’t give hope to the patient is that, if they do and the patient dies, their loss will be that much more traumatic. Just wanted to say that for the doctors out there because their job is hard!
  • I remember seeing her on Dancing with the Stars and I was already impressed with her being able to walk. I had no idea that she went through four years of that. She is just so inspiring.
  • @tinotesu
    The mother’s so educated. Her words were so calm and mature, but I have a sense that they won’t trust any doctor anymore.
  • As anyone who has suffered a medical trauma knows, the power of mindset has just as much to do with healing as anything, this young woman is proof
  • @dannimarie5383
    That's the attitude about life I need to start having😍😍😍🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾What an inspiration.
  • I have a seizure disorder that I was diagnosed with at age 8. I’ve only had 3 large seizures in my life. That was the most traumatic experience of my life. I cannot imagine having seizures 20 hours a day. What this girl has gone through is beyond anything anyone’s gone through. She’s such a pure, kind soul, and an inspiration to all.