Woman wakes up one day before life support removal and completes marathon 5 months later
Rachel Foster, a 35-year-old restaurant owner from Oklahoma, woke up from a coma just one day before she was scheduled to be taken off life support. Five months later, she completed the Boston Marathon.
Foster was riding an electric scooter with her husband, John, on November 11, 2022, when she fell and hit her head on the pavement. She suffered a traumatic brain injury and 17 broken bones. She was placed in a medically induced coma and on life support.
Doctors told John that there was a very small chance that his wife would wake up. But on November 20, 2022, Rachel woke up. She was still in a lot of pain and had a long road to recovery ahead of her, but she was alive.
Foster spent the next few months in the hospital and in rehabilitation. She had to learn how to walk, talk, and eat again. She also had to undergo physical therapy to regain her strength and mobility.
Despite the challenges she faced, Foster never gave up on her dream of running the Boston Marathon. She started training as soon as she was physically able, and on April 17, 2023, she crossed the finish line in 5 hours, 44 minutes, and 46 seconds.
Foster's story is an inspiration to us all. She showed us that anything is possible if we never give up on our dreams. She is a true fighter, and we are all so proud of her.