An electrician who was kept in a medically induced coma for weeks after a freak accident involving an electrical cable asked for ‘Coca-Cola or Corona’ when he woke up.
Michael Papagno, 33, who also goes by Mike, was moving an 18-foot-tall, 130-foot-long storage unit from Portsmouth to southern New Hampshire on Nov. 12 when he accidentally touched a power line.
While working on electrical wires for a work project in Greenland, the massive shock ripped through his body, leaving him with painful third-degree burns.
He was in a coma for two and a half weeks at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, but on Friday the father and husband woke up with his “really great mind” intact.
“He remembers everything until he was put to sleep,” Mike’s brother Matthew said WMUR.
Matthew said his brother was already asking for his favorite snacks and drinks on Sunday, even though he couldn’t enjoy them yet.
“He’s trying to bribe nurses to get Coke or Corona,” Matthew added jokingly.
Despite everything Mike has been through, his brother said he is still his funny self, and especially wants to thank everyone who supported him and his family through the horrific experience.
Michael Papagno, 33, an electrician who was placed in a medically induced coma after being shocked by a live wire during a freak work accident, woke up Friday
Mike was moving an 18-foot-tall, 40-foot-long storage unit from Portsmouth to southern New Hampshire on Nov. 12 when he accidentally touched a power line, sending a shock through his body. (Photo: Mike and his wife Andrea)
“He’s a funny person, just a really big mind, a big personality. And despite all these challenges, that certainly hasn’t changed,” Matthew told the outlet.
“He just didn’t think that many people in the world would think of him in this situation. And it’s all been really positive for him over the last few days.”
His wife, Andrea Papagno, also shared her immense gratitude to those who helped keep them in good spirits along the way.
In a Facebook post on November 28, Andrea said: “I have so much to be grateful for. I am grateful that Michael is alive, our daughter is healthy and for all of you.”
A GoFundMe page set up to help the family pay Michael’s medical bills, exceeded $187,680 as of Thursday evening.
After being taken to hospital, Michael was expected to be in a coma for three weeks.
Matthew said his brother (pictured) was already asking for his favorite snacks and drinks on Sunday, even though he can’t enjoy them yet
He still has a long road to recovery ahead of him as he will require medical treatment in the coming months.
While in a coma, doctors performed several skin grafts to treat his severe burns, and according to Andrea, he has since undergone a total of six skin grafts and seven surgeries.
“We hope this is the last for a while,” his wife wrote on Saturday.
Besides asking for her favorite treats and being his normal, happy self, Michael also made sure to catch up with his eight-month-old child.
“He spent most of his time with his wife hearing about everything his daughter has been up to over the past few weeks,” the donation page said.
Mike’s father Michael and his brother Matthew previously emphasized how much he adores his daughter.
“He treats his baby like this,” Michael told WMUR.
“They FaceTime with some of us all week, and it’s always dinner time and bath time. Michael goes on and on, and she responds to him so well. It’s nice to see.’
While his family hoped for the best possible outcome, Mike’s baby was seen holding her father’s necklace in her hand in a heartwarming photo shared by Andrea.
While his family hoped for the best possible outcome, Mike’s baby was seen holding her father’s necklace in her hand in a heartwarming photo shared by Andrea
He still has a long road to recovery ahead of him as he will need medical treatment for at least three months
‘I’m speechless. I will find the right words at some point, but I am truly speechless. Thank you all for the love, support, donations and spreading his story,” she wrote at the time.
Mike has been a member of the 103 Advantage, an electrical union based in Massachusetts, for 13 years.
The electrician lived with his family in Mansfield, Massachusetts, all his life until he moved to Merrimack, New Hampshire, two years ago.
Bay Crane Northeast LLC had permission from the New Hampshire Department of Transportation to move the equipment.
The regional office for occupational safety and health has launched a safety investigation into the incident, but it could take up to six months before any conclusions are drawn.
Matthew said, “To know Michael is to love Michael. My brother is the funniest, the loudest in the room and the life of the party wherever he goes. He is a great father, uncle, son, brother and friend.”