While Gaskill's case doesn't parallel the late Terri Schiavo's exactly - Schiavo was in what some experts said was a persistent vegetative state for 15 years - doctors had all but given up hope that Gaskill would ever recover.

"I have never seen this happen in my career," her physician, David Schmeidler, told the AP. "I've read about it happening, the severely brain damaged recovering suddenly, but never seen it until now."

As with Schiavo, Gaskill's relatives claimed the disabled woman was responsive to them.

"In the last year and a half, she's indicated that she knows us; she has been watching TV and smiling," said her grandfather, Don Gaskill. "More recently, she started nodding her head when we asked her questions. Then a few months ago, she'd laugh out loud."

Just before Schiavo's feeding tube was disconnected in March by court order, another woman, Sarah Scantlin, 38, unexpectedly began recovering from a severe brain injury that left her speechless and unable to feed herself for 20 years.

Scantlin is now able to eat on her own and answer questions from physical therapists.

"I'm treating her like I would a head injury patient who was injured a month ago," therapist Emily Bewyer told the AP. "As far as her cognitive skills, we're at a point where we're still uncovering what she can do."

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