Mr. Marsh was in a coma and attached to life support machines.
He's alive, but he's been in a coma for a week.
After he came out of the coma, he underwent a year or so of therapy.
In large doses it has a depressant action on the nervous system, leading even to coma and total abolition of reflex action.
I read that when people wake up from a coma, it's always gradual.