I’m also a stranger without a source, but I recall seeing a YouTube video about it years ago, either a news story or documentary. I don’t know if the exact numbers are right but I remember the other details. I’ll have to see if I can find it.

Update: no idea. Can’t find the original video. The one I remember, the guy had been awake the whole time but a nurse had figured out how to communicate with him through eye blinking, he remembers his mom’s senseless comment years previous. OP might be mixing stories. I do vaguely remember ghost boy though.