Heart condition coma caused man to forget about wife's pregnancy

NORFOLK, Virginia -- A North Carolina man is recovering after a brush with death last month that left him in a medically-induced coma.

It started with a cough, but doctors discovered the man had a serious heart condition.

When he regained consciousness, his wife had given birth, but he says when he woke up he didn't remember her being pregnant.

John Lancaster told WTKR-TV, "I remember having a cough and then I remember going to the hospital in Elizabeth City and then I woke up here."

Lancaster couldn't breathe back on January 17 and his wife encouraged him to go to the hospital.

Doctors detected an undiagnosed heart condition that affected his lungs and almost killed him.

Lancaster was placed in a medically-induced coma. When he woke up he didn't remember his wife was nine months pregnant.

She gave birth January 24, the same day he had surgery.

Kimber was born weighing 7 pounds and 11 ounces.

Lancaster has a long recovery ahead of him but he says he can't wait to get home to be with his wife and his new daughter.