UC Irvine doctor miraculously rehabilitates man in coma

ORANGE, Calif. (KABC) -- At 25, Marc Kaiser was diagnosed with hydrocephalus, which meant he had excess fluid on his brain.

More than two decades went by before the Orange County father suffered from a brain infection last April. He descended into a vegetative state and was stuck in a coma for several months.

Various doctors told his wife and three children to prepare for the worst.

"I was being told at another hospital that there was no hope, that we should pull the plug," said Marc Kaiser's wife Anne Kaiser, who refused to give up.

That's when she wrote a letter to doctors at UC Irvine Medical Center in Orange and everything changed.

Dr. Leonid Groysman saw a spark and helped bring Marc Kaiser back to life.

"What is interesting to me and what I am proud about neurology, there was no test that showed that Marc would survive," Groysman said.

Groysman and the entire neurosciences team were reunited with the Kaiser family Friday morning, laughing and at times crying about the journey.

Marc Kaiser began rehabilitation in October. On Monday, he went home.

"It's crazy, but it's good," he said.

There's still a long road with years of physical therapy ahead, but his family has faith.

"There is always hope no matter what," Anne Kaiser said.

"We are so blessed to have him back home, and we thank everyone who has taken care of him along the way," she added.