A ‘Thanksgiving miracle’: Spokane area teen Brody Three Stars wakes from coma

After being hit by a drunk driver the weekend before Thanksgiving, Spokane area teen Brody Three Stars has awakened from his coma.

The Colbert teen spent much of last week in a coma but by Thanksgiving had started to open his eyes for brief periods.

“Each day he got better and spent more time awake. And now he’s able to verbalize more and he’s even pretended to swing a bat,” said Brody’s father Rio Three Stars.

Family friend Christine Brischle called the teenager’s recovery a “Thanksgiving miracle.”

On Thursday last week the family brought their turkey dinner to the hospital.

“We all wanted to be together as a family for Thanksgiving. Me and my wife, his little sister – we were there with Brody. He wasn’t awake too much. But we were together as a family,” Rio Three Stars said.

The family hopes Brody will be discharged in the coming days. After leaving Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center he will need to spend weeks at a rehabilitation facility.

“The medical staff seem pretty optimistic that he’s going to make a pretty strong recovery. I am hopeful he makes a full recovery but there is a possibility of permanent functional deficit. It’s been a big, long, emotional roller coaster, but we definitely have hope,” Rio Three Stars said.

Brody was in the passenger’s seat when his car was hit by a drunk driver on U.S. Highway 395, about 9 miles north of Spokane. The driver of the other car has since been charged with vehicular assault.

A GoFundMe raising money for the Three Stars’ medical expenses has raised more than $71,000 as of Monday.

“Our family just feels so lucky and blessed to have so many amazing friends and family members and supporters of Brody. And I can’t help but think that all the prayers and the well wishes have helped him get to where he is now,” Rio Three Stars said.