was communicating in a reasonably clear voice, he said. Although 20 years had passed, she was pretty certain she was still 18 or 19. In all those years, it never sank in that she was almost 50 years old.

“You could not convince her otherwise,” Jim said. She infrequently asked questions, but she would surprise visitors out of the blue. Her favorite question was, “Really?”

Jim asked her if she remembered the accident and she told him she didn't want to talk about it.

Doctors were baffled; no one could explain why she had begun speaking. Time magazine even featured her in a 2007 special edition that focused on the brain and the “mysteries of consciousness.”

Her parents felt blessed they were given the time to communicate. Friends remained faithful, remembering heron birthdays and Christmas.

For so long, Jim, who was four years older, never could remember the last conversation he had with his sister before the accident. Instead he was given the gift of more dialogue.

Miracle workers

The Scantlin family believes Sarah's miracle was due to the wonderful care she received from the staff at Diversicare.

Jennifer Trammell had been with Sarah from the day she arrived at the care facility until her death.

According to The Hutchinson News, which reported frequently on Sarah's progress, she began crying out loud about five years after the accident. She was being heard: Staff believed she was trying to communicate. It would take 15 more years before she uttered “OK, OK.” For three weeks staff worked on word formations and talked about giving her parents