A man who was declared brain dead after being punched on a night out miraculously woke up as his family were discussing turning his life support off.
James Howard-Jones, 28, was involved in an altercation with 24-year-old Ben Davies in Cheltenham, UK, in April last year which resulted in a physical confrontation.
As reported by BBC News, Davies punched Howard-Jones causing him to fall back and hit his head, and this left him fighting for his life.
He was rushed to the hospital and underwent several operations in an attempt to save his life - and he remained unconscious for several weeks.
As the family was making the heartbreaking decision to turn off his life support and amid discussions about donating his organs, Howard-Jones miraculously woke up.
During a hearing, the Gloucester Crown Court heard that the 28-year-old remains physically and mentally disabled and will require care for the rest of his life.
Davies pleaded guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm without intent and was jailed for two years and four months.
During his sentencing, Judge Martin Picton told Davies: "You've destroyed the life and hopes of Mr. Howard-Jones - a young man in the prime of life with everything to live for.
"At the same time, you broke the hearts of his family and friends. The damage you have caused is devastating and lifelong for all those affected by your criminal act."
Prior to the incident in April last year, Howard-Jones was an avid cyclist but is now wheelchair-bound and needs help getting out of bed and going to the toilet.
During the trial, his father Neil Howard-Jones said: "Within the first couple of weeks we were told by the doctors treating James that he was brain dead and the kindest thing we could do was to let him die.
"I was asked questions that no parent should ever be asked, such as letting his organs be harvested. We agreed that this should be done and arrangements were being made for transplantation donation. We agreed that this should be delayed for a week so that family and friends could say their goodbyes to James. The stress of this was enormous.
"Incredibly, despite what the experts had told us, James went on to regain consciousness. Initially, he was only able to give eye contact and was unable to move or speak."
Howard-Jones' father concluded his lengthy statement by clarifying that his son will need care for the rest of his life, adding: "All in all, the future for my son is looking pretty bleak."
After his arrest, police investigated Davies' phone and found that he had made internet searches to see how much trouble he was in for what had occurred.
A GoFundMe page has been set up in order to support Howard-Jones and his family, and at the time of writing, £11,500 ($14,600) has been raised out of a £20,000 ($25,000) target.
The most recent update to the page reveals that the 28-year-old is making positive progress, and has been able to talk to his friends via social media and engage with family members over the phone.
We wish Howard-Jones and his family all the best during this difficult time.
