Written By: Satata Karmakar | Published : January 18, 2026 7:24 PM IST
Damien Martyn Health Update: Australia Star Wakes Up From Induced Coma After Battle With Meningitis
Damien Martyn Health BIG Update: Former Australian batting star Damien Martyn, has shared his recent health updates, nearly three weeks after falling seriously ill with bacterial meningitis that left him in the ICU for over a week. The 54-year-old took to social media to explain how he fought a life-threatening illness and is now on the path to recovery.
The Australian cricket star revealed that meningitis took over his brain, and that he was placed in a paralysed coma for eight days to help fight the infection. In the recent video, Martyn also shared that doctors gave him only a 50/50 chance of surviving, but he amazed everyone by waking up from the induced coma and, just four days later, walking and talking again.
Martyn, who played 67 Test matches between 1992 and 2006, fell ill in late December and spent over a week in an induced coma. Let's understand how meningitis affects the body and how long it actually takes for a patient to recover completely from this condition.
Martyn, who woke from the coma last week, has left hospital and posted a statement on Saturday, external thanking those who treated him and offered support. Taking to social media, the former Australian legend said, "On the 27th of December 2025 my life was taken out of my hands when meningitis took over my brain." He went on to add, "Unbeknownst to me, I was placed into a paralysed coma to help me fight this awful disease. And that I did! Fight that is! After being given a 50/50 chance of surviving, I came out of the induced coma eight days later not able to walk or talk. And yet four days after that, with the doctors in disbelief, I walked, I talked and proved to them all why I should be released from hospital to start my recovery."
Meningitis is an infection of the protective membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord. It can come on suddenly and kill within hours if not treated quickly.
As martyn enters the path towards recovery from the dangerous meningitis infection, the cricket legend says, "So happy to be home, to be able to put my feet in the sand on the beach and to start thanking all those people that reached out to me and my family in their unwavering support."
CHECK HIS RECENT POST HERE
This post is A BIG thank you to ALL my family, friends and so many other people who have reached out to me!
On the 27th of December 2025 my life was taken out of my hands when meningitis took over my brain, & unbeknownst to me I was placed into a paralysed coma for 8 days to pic.twitter.com/3Mt3DS6MZY Damien Martyn (@damienmartyn) January 17, 2026
Martyn made his Australia debut at 21 in the 1992-93 series against West Indies. He scored 4,406 runs in 67 Tests at an average of 46.37 and 5,346 runs in 208 ODIs at 40.80. He hit 18 international hundreds, including 13 in Tests, with his highest score of 165 against New Zealand in 2005.
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