Traumatic brain injury survivor makes miraculous recovery

ATLANTA (FOX 5 Atlanta) - A 21-year-old Atlanta student is making a recovery so tremendous, even doctors are having trouble explaining it.

"My doctors have told me medical science can't explain my recovery," Cole Burton said. "They told me God has something to do with it."

Last May, the Auburn University student was with his class observing rocks on the side of an Alabama road when a driver under the influence hit him and another classmate.

"The last thing I remember is looking at rocks, then I woke up weeks later at Shepherd Center," Burton said.

Burton suffered a traumatic brain injury and was in a coma for weeks when doctors gave his family a grim prognosis.

"They said he probably won't make a meaningful recovery and will likely be a vegetable the rest of his life," Tina Burton, Cole's mom said. "They said we can withdraw services if we choose."

Cole's family prayed about it, but decided against it.

"We decided if God wants to take him, God will take him, but that wasn't our decision to make," Tina said.

Since then, every day has been one filled with learning.

"I've had to learn how to do everything all over again," Burton said.

"Not many parents get to see their kids learn how to walk and talk again," Tina said.

Cole credits his family and his care at Shepherd Center with his recovery and he encourages all traumatic brain injury survivors to never give up.

"Just focus on the day," Burton said. "They go slow, but the weeks fly by so treat every moment as an opportunity to get better."