Pocatello Costco employee fighting for his life wakes up from coma

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – An update on a local man who was in a coma at the University of Utah hospital.

RELATED | Community rallies around Pocatello Costco employee as he fights for his life

John Bryant’s brother Troy Bryant says everyone’s prayers came through for John.

His family, friends and doctors are amazed at the progress John’s been making.

John is learning to walk again as he makes his way back from a rare diagnosis that left him in a coma state for a week.

Walking down the halls of the hospital is something doctors and family thought they would never see.

“Yesterday I believe is the first time he has stood up and took about 50 steps, so that’s extremely exciting. We’ve dubbed him Superman, so he’s the new Clark Kent in our life,” says Troy Bryant, John’s Brother.

He says when John first came out of a coma, there was a lot of emotion and shock.

“The first night that I knew that he was there and it wasn’t just somebody that was looking off into space, he actually looked over at me and gave me a big strong wink with his left eye and that’s kind of what let me know that he was still there and it was very exciting to see,” says Troy Bryant.

John’s brother says since he’s come out of the coma state, he’s been making progress every day.

‘He is truly a living miracle that I think is defying every expectation and odds that anybody has seen in a long time, I mean, so it really is crazy. It’s incredible,” says Troy Bryant.

John has been moved to occupational therapy to work on his strength.

And when he was able to talk, he wanted pizza but so far he’s just been able to chew on ice chips, however, he did such a good job in therapy on Sunday, that they let him eat some pudding, which he was very happy about.

This article was first published by KPVI. It is used here with permission.