Former Australian player Damien Martyn, after surviving an induced coma for eight days opened up about his experience. The two-time World Cup winner was admitted to hospital on 27 December after being diagnosed with meningitis.
He came out of the induced coma and showed positive signs of recovery in the first week of January. Martyn then took to social media and shared his thoughts about life. In the post, Martyn wrote, “This post is A BIG thank you to ALL my family, friends, and so many other people who have reached out to me!” on his X post.
He further emphasised, “On the 27th of December 2025 my life was taken out of my hands… when meningitis took over my brain, and unbeknownst to me, I was placed into a paralysed coma for 8 days to help me fight this awful disease.”
The two-time World Cupper further emphasised, “And that I did! Fight that is!…,” he added. The 54-year-old further revealed that he faced a 50–50 chance of survival, and even normal body movements became a challenge for him. “After being given a 50/50 chance of surviving, I came out of the induced coma 8 days later… not able to walk or talk.”
“And yet, four days after that, with the doctors in disbelief, I walked, I talked and proved to them all why I should be released from hospital to start my recovery. So happy to be home, to be able to put my feet in the sand on the beach and to start thanking all those people that reached out to me and my family in their unwavering support,” Martyn concluded.
He further expressed his thoughts on ‘how fragile life is’ in his post on X. He wrote, “This experience has reminded me of how fragile life is, how quickly everything can change, and how precious time is!” he said. “I am so grateful to you all. Thank you! Bring on 2026… I’m back!”
