Railwayman Jan Grzebski fell into the coma after he being hit by a train in 1988.

Doctors did not Grzebski to survive, let alone emerge from the coma.

"I cried a lot, and I prayed a lot. Those who came to see us kept asking: 'When is he going to die?' But he's not dead," said his wife Gertruda.

Grzebski paid special tribute to his wife, crediting her with his survival.

“She’s the one who always took care of me. She saved my life,” he said.

At the time of the accident Grzebski was a father of four.

During his coma, 11 grandchildren came into the world.

The period also saw the end of Communism and the Eastern Bloc, along with Poland's accession to the European Union.

But there are more obvious signs of change on the streets of Poland.

"What amazes me today is all these people who walk around with their mobile phones and never stop moaning. I've got nothing to complain about," he said.