From Coma to 17,000 Ancestors: Genealogy Was My Miracle Cure for Stroke Recovery

My family’s history has always been important to me, but I never imagined a family tree would become the unexpected tool for my own miraculous recovery. My journey started not with an old document, but with a terrifying health crisis that nearly ended my life.

The genetic lottery and a near-fatal discovery

For years, I lived with Essential Tremor (ET), a debilitating genetic condition I inherited from my father and grandmother. By my 50s, the tremors were so bad that simple, daily tasks were nearly impossible. My once-neat handwriting was a struggle, and walking home with a cup of coffee meant spilling half of it.

Seeking help, I consulted with a respected neurologist. In a profound moment of luck — Miracle 2 as I call it — this doctor, who had a background as a cardiologist, listened to my heart with a stethoscope. He insisted I get it checked out. What followed was a shock: an immense aortic stem aneurysm. I needed open-heart surgery immediately.

The decision was terrifying. My older sister had died after a double lung transplant, and my uncle, Roger, had refused the same surgery and died a year later. Choosing to fight for my life was the greatest challenge I’d ever faced.

A coma, a stroke, and a miracle

The surgery itself was a success, but due to extreme blood loss, I suffered a severe stroke and slipped into a coma for a month. During that time, I died and was resuscitated twice, and I went to the pearly gates twice, met with Archangel Michael twice and was told twice my time was not up and I had to return to care for my wife and sons.

Peter’s 3 sons

Meanwhile, doctors delivered a grim prognosis to my family: I would likely be a “vegetable,” unable to speak or understand. After weeks without change, my wife and youngest son were told they had 24 hours to say goodbye. The next morning, as my wife was with her sister giving her this devastating update and was about to arrange my funeral mass, her phone rang. It was the IC doctor who told her: “The deal is off! He has woken up!”

Despite the initial bleak outlook, I defied every prediction. Over the next two months, I miraculously regained my ability to speak, move, and eventually walk. The medical staff agreed: my recovery was completely unforeseen.

MyHeritage: The engine of neuro-rehabilitation

Returning home, my mind was still profoundly affected. The stroke had left me with severe memory issues and significant fine motor problems in my dominant right hand. I needed a way to rebuild my brain.

I discovered MyHeritage and began building my family tree. What started as a hobby quickly became the most effective form of cognitive therapy I could have imagined.

The intellectual rigor and focus required for genealogy became my daily brain workout. Remembering the names of the relatives I discovered was difficult especially as the tree expanded, branches grew and generation of relatives increased. I struggled to remember names and relationships, but as the tree expanded, my focus and concentration improved dramatically. Over time, I could remember names when they came up multiple times across generations, and I could remember relationships and who were direct ancestors, and who were cousins.

I went from only being able to track a few ancestors to dozens in a single sitting. My mind sharpened so much that I could spot inconsistencies in the database, like an ancestor listed as the son of a man who had been dead for a decade!

Crucially, the constant typing on MyHeritage was essential for my physical recovery. My hand was reduced to single-finger typing, but the necessity of inputting data forced my right hand to work. I’m now regularly using 3 or 4 fingers — a clear, daily improvement in my fine motor skills and overall neuroplasticity. MyHeritage didn’t just connect me to my past; it actively helped repair my present.

Against all odds — and with what my doctors and family now consider a genuine miracle — I made a near-complete recovery. In the process of rebuilding my memory and mental connections, MyHeritage became an unlikely but invaluable tool. Using the platform felt like playing the greatest brain-healing “memory game” imaginable, linking short-term and long-term recall, retracing forgotten paths, and weaving both my family history and my own recovery back together.

That process has now led to something remarkable. My family tree on MyHeritage includes over 17,000 individuals. The tree reveals connections — some legendary, others well-documented — to noble families, medieval kings, Viking figures, Crusaders, and Irish High Kings.

From convict ancestor to colonial pioneer

As my mind healed, the family history I uncovered grew exponentially, filling in the gaps about our Australian roots.

The story I grew up with centered on my ancestor, William Sykes, who arrived in 1806 as a convict for buying a keg of stolen beer. Despite this start, he was educated and was assigned to the service of John Macarthur, helping to educate his children. His good conduct led to an Absolute Pardon, and he established himself as a respected colonial figure, founding the family’s farm, ‘Mount Britain,’ on 80 acres at Appin and later operating the ‘Appin Inn’. Our family’s unbroken history of farming and merino breeding stems from the strong foundation William established.

Beyond William, my tree exploded. I discovered I am a direct descendant of Viking figures, including Ragnar Lothbrok — a theory later supported by a doctor who noted I have a condition almost exclusively found in Viking descendants!

A depiction of Ragnar Lothbrok, king of Danes, and his sons, Hinguar and Hubba, from a 15th century manuscript.

My tree is now populated by a full spectrum of humanity across 17 generations: saints, sinners, kings, queens, crusaders, and peasants.

In researching their struggles and triumphs, I realized that life’s core emotions — loyalty, longing, fear, and joy — are timeless. The challenges they faced centuries ago are fundamentally the same as ours today.

An inspiring message of hope

My experience has taught me to cherish this second chance and to share two vital lessons:

• Get an echocardiogram. An aortic aneurysm is a silent killer. Most people don’t know they have it until it’s too late. Your family deserves that safety net.
• Be kind. Having been so close to the other side, I can tell you that life is a gift. Don’t miss out on the beauty of this world.

Peter celebrates his 30th wedding anniversary with his wife Sharon

I am forever grateful to MyHeritage. It was the catalyst that not only connected me to my ancestors but became the very tool that helped me find and rebuild myself again.

Many thanks to Peter Sykes for sharing his incredible recovery story with us! Has it inspired you to start your own journey of discovery and cognitive exercise? Start building your family tree on MyHeritage today.

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Source: My Heritage