Man who spent two decades in coma before waking up to say mum's name dies at 57

A man who spent two decades in a coma before waking up to his say mum's name has died aged 57.

Terry Wayne Wallis was 19 when he and a friend were in a horrific car accident that left him in a coma for the next 20 years and killed his friend who was driving.

The accident left father-of-one Terry a comatose quadriplegic.

In 2003, Terry stunned his medical team by suddenly waking from his coma to say the word 'mom'.

Terry, from Arkansas, USA, went on to regain much of his speech.

He even regained the ability to move certain parts of his body, although he remained permanently disabled as a result of the injuries from the accident.

Terry Wallis and his wife Sandra in 2002 in a rehabilitation hospital in Mount View, Arkansas (Getty Images)

Sandra Wallis, wife of Terry Wallis, talks with family members about her husband's recovery from a 19 year coma in 2003 (Getty Images)

An employee with the Stone County Rehabilitation Center said at the time: “He started out with ‘Mom,’ and then it was ‘Pepsi,’ and then it was ‘milk,"

At the time, his mother Angilee said his recovery was a "miracle".

She said at the time: “I couldn’t tell you my first thought, I just fell over on the floor."

Terry is survived by his daughter Amber, who was born shortly before the life-changing car accident, as well as his grandchildren.

Terry Wallis and his wife Sandra before the accident (Getty Images)

Despite being unconscious and in a coma, Terry's family said they would regularly visit him and even bring him home from the hospital on alternate weekends.

They said in his obituary: “Doctors believe that this stimulation contributed to his awakening period.”

“Terry was a great teaser and loved to tease his sister. His wonderful sense of humour will be greatly missed by his family.”