There are few things in life more unwavering than a mother's love. No matter a child's age, most mothers will always be there to take care of them. Just ask Peggy Means. When her daughter, Jennifer Flewellen, of Niles, Michigan, was in a devastating car accident in 2017, she never gave up hope that her daughter would recover. Flewellen, 41, spent five years in a coma before suddenly waking up, and, in 2024, she got to spend Mother's Day at home with her three sons by her side.
Means, 60, told People that even though her daughter's prognosis looked grim, she never wanted to take her off life support. Because Means and her daughter's care team never gave up, the family can now share in life's most precious moments again.
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Flewellen's boys were young when the accident occurred.
According to People, the mother had just dropped her three boys off at school and was headed to work when she reportedly hit a utility pole. At the time, her boys were all young and in school.
By the time she woke up from the coma, her two oldest sons, Skylar, now 21, and Daeton, 19, had already graduated from high school. Her youngest son, Julian, 17, is now a senior.
At first, it was difficult for Flewellen to comprehend what had happened to her.
Means explained to People that when her daughter first woke up back in 2022, she couldn't make any sounds but would nod. She slept a lot in the first few months, but as her recovery continued, things got better.
Julian told People that when his mom woke up, she seemed surprised at how much he had grown. "I told her I was Juju, and her eyes lit up like, 'Wow, it's my Juju bean,'" Julian said, noting his nickname. "But when she actually found out our ages and things like that, it broke her heart. She started to cry."
Despite being at home, Flewellen remains in intense therapy.
Although she is out of the coma and was released from the Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital, Flewellen's recovery is ongoing. She continues to have a difficult time communicating and is unable to walk. Her brother, Kyle Means, started a GoFundMe account for the family to help raise money for a new van and some remodeling to her home.
"We are hoping to get a handicap van which could help her in so many ways to appointment, therapy, and getting back out in the world after being confined to a bed for years. We also would try and make her home more accessible for handicap as a bathroom remodel would be first and foremost," he wrote on the page. "She has been home for several months now and you take for granted how easy it is to just get in the shower. She has and is continuing to amaze so many people in her journey to recovery and its not stopping now regardless just trying to make it easier."
The fundraiser has brought in more than $40,000 of a $50,000 goal thus far.
Means feels blessed to have her daughter back.
Even though things will never be quite the same, the mother's love for her daughter never changes. As she told People about her daughter coming out of the coma, "When she woke up, it scared me at first because she was laughing, and she had never done that. Every dream came true. Today's the day I said, 'That door that was closed, that kept us apart, had just opened. We were back.'"
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Even though Flewellen's communication is limited, Means knows how much her daughter loves her.
Flewellen makes sounds, and her mother understands her. She told CBS News that she couldn't pinpoint one particular part of waking up from a coma, but that "everything" was the best part.
She gave a heartwarming nod to her mother, who never gave up hope. "I love my mom," Flewellen shared.
