"Don't stop believing"

         That was the advice from ex-pat Peter Coghlan when interviewed recently by Eugene Henderson for an article on assisted suicide.

       Pete knows better than most how easy it is to give into despair.  Two years ago, he suffered a massive brain stem stroke which left him locked-in - paralysed except for his eyes, his only means of communication.

       At the time of the article, which appeared in the Sunday Express on 29^th September 2013, police were investigating the possible suicide of former teacher, Victoria Meppen-Walter, who was left in constant pain after a routine operation.

      Having woken up from a coma, Pete overheard doctors saying he’d little chance of recovery. The thought of living the rest of his life unable to move drove him to beg his mother to help him die.

       “Once people believe there is no hope, they give up, but I’ve been through a living hell and it was better than dying,” said Pete. “With the right care, physio and motivation, it can happen. I’m living proof. If you keep trying, things can change.”

       Now recovered from his ordeal, Pete lives in Perth, Western Australia and has written a book based on his experiences as a locked-in patient. “In the Blink of an Eye Reborn” is available on Amazon and Smashwords. 

Pete was totally paralysed after waking from coma

Pete today, now fully recovered from Locked-in

UK:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Blink-Eye-Reborn-Peter-Coghlan/dp/1727145593

US:
https://www.amazon.com/Blink-Eye-Reborn-Peter-Coghlan/dp/1727145593

US: 
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/314601