Sarah Scantlin, who had been in a coma for 20 years, awoke one day and began speaking in an unprecedented medical miracle. In 1984, Scantlin was just like any other eighteen-year-old, going out with friends, having fun, and finishing high school. One night, a drunk driver struck her, bringing everything to a horrible conclusion.

She had a severe head injury and spinal cord damage, resulting in a debilitating coma. Sarah’s father, James Scantlin, tells CBS that he was notified that his daughter “was gone.” Her family became progressively resigned to the terrible possibility that they might never talk to their daughter again as time passed. After a few weeks, patients in coma usually begin to regain consciousness.

So the physicians were taken aback when Scantlin began speaking one day. Lori Shockley, Scantlin’s closest friend, was among the first to see her when she awoke. She had been driving three hours to see her in the hospital since she had been in a coma two decades earlier. Following their sixth-grade reunion, Scantlin and I became the closest of friends, sharing a sisterly closeness.

Even though the trip to Scantlin was usually sad, the day she was reunited with her best friend was anything but. She excitedly walked into the room where Shockley was waiting, making a wonderfully “savage” first remark. After noting Scantlin’s excitement at seeing her best friend, Shockley hugged her and inquired, “What’s new about me today?”

Scantlin responded, “You’re old.” Shockley giggled and said, “Am I?! Because that would make you elderly, Sarah.” Scantlin’s surprise at discovering her friend suddenly 20 years older is completely understandable—she last saw Shockley when she was 18 years old. Unfortunately, after 20 years in a coma, Scantlin’s abilities were reduced from before the catastrophe. Her muscles had been inactive for so long that her joints spasmed and her speech became distorted.

‘The Sarah that’s with us today is very much the same Sarah that was with us 20 years ago,’ says Shockley, despite her physical abilities changing. In a touching exchange, Shockley asks Scantlin, “Who’s your best friend?” Scantlin responds simply: “You.”

Scantlin gradually improved her speech after waking up from the vegetative condition, and in an incredible video, she sings “Happy Birthday” to her father for the first time in 22 years. Sadly, Scantlin died in May 2016 after what looked to be respiratory difficulties and dropping blood pressure, but her incredible story continues to inspire.