Man wakes from 12-year coma to mum who cared for him for more than a decade

A man who was left in a coma following a car accident in east China has woken after 12 years. Photo / Jining News

A man who was left in a coma following a car accident in east China has woken up after 12 years.

The first thing he saw were tears streaming down the face of his 75-year-old mother, who had been by his bedside day and night for over a decade, the MailOnline reported.

The loving mother, Wei Mingying, had spent her entire life savings on her son's medical expenses and had even taken on a 120,000 yuan (NZ$26,000) debt. At one point, she was so poor that she didn't eat for an entire month, she told reporters.

Her son, Wang Shubao, was left a quadriplegic after a 2006 crash in Shouguang, Shandong province, reported Jining News. He was 36 years old.

Wang's father had passed away when he was young, leaving his mother as his sole caretaker.

Wei would start her day at 5am: Wash her son's face, bathe him, feed him, take care of his toilet needs, massage and reposition his body to prevent bedsores... looking after her only son dominated her life, but she never complained.

75-year-old Wei Mingying would start her day at 5am: Wash her son's face, bathe him, feed him, take care of his toilet needs, massage and reposition his body to prevent bedsores. Photo / Jining News

"There was a time when I wouldn't eat for an entire month because we were so poor," Wei told Beijing News.

"My mouth, my tongue was all dry. I would just drink water." The frail mother lost 20kg (44lbs) over the years and now only weighs 30kg (66lbs).

A miracle happened last October when she caught him smiling at her one day, a sign that he had finally regained consciousness.

While Wang is still unable to move or speak, he can now hear his mother and smile in response, according to the report.

"I am just overjoyed. I hope he will make a full recovery," Wei said. "I will never give up on him."