In a heartening development that has brought immense relief to the cricketing world, former Australian batsman Damien Martyn has made a 'miraculous' recovery after being placed in an induced coma due to meningitis. The 54-year-old is now awake, talking to his family, and responding well to treatment, with doctors hopeful of moving him out of intensive care soon.
A Stunning Turnaround in 48 Hours
The positive update was shared by Martyn's former teammate and close friend, legendary wicketkeeper-batter Adam Gilchrist, who issued a statement on behalf of the family. "It's been an unbelievable turn of events in the last 48 hours," Gilchrist revealed. He confirmed that Martyn is now able to communicate and interact with his loved ones, marking a dramatic improvement in his condition.
Gilchrist emphasised the speed and nature of the recovery, stating, "He has responded extraordinarily well since coming out of the coma to the point where his family feels it's like some sort of miracle." The cricketer was initially transported from his Gold Coast home to a Brisbane hospital on Boxing Day after falling seriously ill. Following a diagnosis of meningitis, doctors made the decision to place him in an induced coma.
Family Credits Public Support for Recovery
The statement from Gilchrist also conveyed the family's deep gratitude for the overwhelming support received from fans, friends, and the media during this challenging time. Martyn's wife, Amanda, is convinced that the flood of love, goodwill, and caring messages played a significant role in his recovery. "She just really wants to say to everyone she is convinced that the love, goodwill and sense of care that they felt from everybody, via messages and via the coverage in the press really helped him," Gilchrist conveyed.
The family feels profoundly blessed by the global outpouring of concern. The update further noted that Martyn himself is in good spirits, though understandably overwhelmed by the support. While he remains in hospital for continued treatment and monitoring, the prognosis is increasingly positive.
Road to Recovery and a Glittering Career
The medical team is so encouraged by his progress that they are hopeful of transferring him from the ICU to another part of the hospital shortly. "It has been so positive that they're hopeful he will be able to move out of the ICU into another part of the hospital, which is representative of what a great recovery it's been and how quickly it has flipped around," Gilchrist added.
Damien Martyn, a key member of Australia's dominant era, enjoyed a distinguished international career. He represented Australia in 67 Test matches between 1992 and 2006, amassing 4,406 runs at an impressive average of 46.37, including 13 centuries. He was also a vital cog in the 2003 World Cup-winning squad. In One Day Internationals, Martyn played 208 matches, scoring 5,346 runs at an average of 40.80, with 5 hundreds and 37 half-centuries.
The cricketing community in India and worldwide now joins his family, friends, and former colleagues in celebrating this remarkable turnaround and wishing the stylish right-hander a full and speedy recovery.
