Edwarda O'Bara
| Edwarda O'Bara | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | March 27, 1953 |
| Died |
November 21, 2012 (aged 59) Miami Gardens, Florida, United States of America |
Edwarda O'Bara (March 27, 1953 – November 21, 2012) was an American who spent 42 years in a diabetic coma starting in January 1970 after contracting pneumonia in December 1969.
Biography
Family
O'Bara's father Joe O'Bara was a halfback at the University of Pittsburgh in 1952 and was the Middleweight Boxing champion for the U.S. Navy during World War II.[1] O'Bara had the ambition to become a pediatrician.[2]
Illness and care
O'Bara contracted pneumonia on December 20, 1969. Her condition worsened over a period of two weeks and she was taken to a hospital. According to her family, at 3 a.m. on January 3, 1970 O'Bara "'woke up shaking and in great pain because the oral form of insulin she had been taking wasn't reaching her blood stream".[3] The date was significant for the family as it was her parents' 22nd wedding anniversary.[4] She later slipped into a diabetic coma.[5] She was fed from a tube and her mother Kaye turned her from side to side every two hours to prevent bedsores. Kaye also read, played music and made conversation with her.[2] Her father Joe also gave up his job to care for her. By 2007, the costs of O'Bara's care had put her mother into debt by $200,000.[6] Her father, Joe, had a heart attack in 1972 and died in 1976, at the age of 50. Her mother, Kaye, died in 2008, at the age of 81. After their mothers' death, Edwarda continued to be cared for by her sister.
Death
O'Bara died at her home in Miami Gardens, Florida on November 21, 2012 at the age of 59.[7] Her father, Joe, died six years after she fell into her diabetic coma, the strain of working three jobs to pay her medical bills too much. Her mother, Kathryn, had promised to never leave her side; she died in 2008 after caring for Edwarda for 38 years.[8] Former President Bill Clinton, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, singer Neil Diamond and other celebrities visited the home over the years. Renowned self-help author Wayne Dyer penned a book, "A Promise Is A Promise," about Kathryn's unconditional love. Thousands of people—from Japan to Australia, from Italy to Canada—took the pilgrimage to the O'Bara home, inspired by the devotion of her mother. They were drawn too because they believed Edwarda had miracle healing powers: A woman with an inoperable brain tumor was cancer free months after she touched Edwarda.[citation needed] Two girls with cystic fibrosis were apparently healed in the months after visiting her room.[citation needed] Kathryn claimed Mother Mary appeared in visions. Kathryn O'Bara wrote Pope John Paul II. He responded with letters of his own. On the walls of Edwarda's room, Mrs. O'Bara pinned inspirational quotes: "Where there is great love, there are great miracles."[8]
References
- ↑ Wells, Tom (December 25, 1995). "Woman has spent 26 years keeping her daughter's wish". The Daily Courier. p. 8A.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Cavaliere, Victoria (November 23, 2012). "Florida woman dies after spending 42 years in a coma". New York Daily News. Retrieved November 24, 2012.
- ↑ Daily Mail Reporter (November 23, 2012). "Goodnight 'Snow White': Longest coma patient ever passes away after 42 YEARS... and her mom and sister never left her side". Daily Mail (Daily Mail and General Trust). Retrieved November 24, 2012.
- ↑ "Mother Awaits End To 9-Year Sleep". The Palm Beach Post. January 14, 1979. p. A4.
- ↑ "Mom stays by comatose daughter". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. December 25, 1995. p. 11.
- ↑ Quaroni, Marlene (April 25, 2007). "Mother has cared for comatose daughter for 37 years". Catholic Online. Retrieved November 24, 2012.
- ↑ Moskovitz, Diana (November 22, 2012). "Edwarda O’Bara, who spent 4 decades in a coma, dies at 59". Miami Herald. Retrieved November 24, 2012.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Drash, Wayne. "Comatose since Christmas 1969: A tale of unconditional love and miracles". Cable News Network. Retrieved 23 December 2012.