The “Holiday Hams” comedy show set for Dec. 8 at The MAIN in Newhall invites residents to support the Roberts family after 22-year-old Perry Roberts miraculously woke from a coma caused by an anoxic brain injury.

The day before his 22nd birthday in September, Perry was found unconscious by his 17-year-old sister, Gabriella, and rushed to the hospital, according to Nancy Lantis, “Holiday Hams” co-producer and actress.

The Roberts family before Perry’s brain injury. Photo courtesy of Nancy Lantis.

“He basically died in the ambulance — he had no heartbeat, no brain waves, nothing,” Lantis said. They were keeping him alive through a machine.”

Tests revealed that Perry had accidentally overdosed on a prescribed painkiller for chronic back pain after having his medications changed, according to his father, Kelly Roberts.

“My son is 6’4” and he has always had chronic back pain because he bends in the middle of his back, not in his waste like you and me,” Kelly explained. “(The overdose) was a complete mistake.”

Kelly alleges that Perry was not given the proper instructions on how to take the new medication, and didn’t realize key components like the fact that it was extended release and couldn’t be mixed with another prescription he was taking for muscle spasms.

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The amount of swelling in Perry’s brain when he arrived at the hospital showed that there was no oxygen going to his brain for two hours, causing an anoxic brain injury and the resulting coma.

Gabriella Roberts with her brother after he woke from his coma. Photo courtesy of Nancy Lantis.

While his brain stem was still active, cat scans revealed no brain activity, leading the Roberts family to hold bedside vigils and prayers as they prepared to turn off life support equipment at the recommendation of their son’s ICU doctor, according to Lantis.

“It was his birthday the following day and we didn’t want to unplug him on his birthday,” Kelly said, adding that Gabriella also wanted to dedicate her performance in a Canyon Theatre Guild production to her brother that next day. 

The family had no idea that the decision to delay things by just one more day would ultimately save Perry’s life, as a new doctor was brought in to examine him and determined that all hope was not lost.

“The guy tried everything, and lo and behold, (Perry) actually came around,” Kelly said. “I’ve had four doctors say it’s a complete miracle… He remembers things and he’s able to talk now. He’s still in there.”

Perry was transferred to a hospital in Panorama City while his family tries to find a rehab facility covered by their insurance, which was recently downgraded due to financial struggles that started before the incident.

Perry with his mother, Ines Roberts, before his brain injury. Photo courtesy of Nancy Lantis.

“We were not doing very well financially, so we lost our house,” Kelly said. “Right now I live in an RV (with my wife and daughter).”

Kelly has been working three — sometimes four — jobs in an effort to keep up with the flood of medical bills for his son.

In addition to the “Holiday Hams” comedy show, presented by the Big Sandwich Theatre Company and benefiting the Roberts family, a GoFundMe page has been launched, and the Canyon Theatre Guild is accepting tax deductible donations with 100 percent of funds notated to “Caring for Perry Roberts” going directly to the family.

“I would love to say thank you to everybody,” Kelly said. “I just don’t have enough time to thank the way that I would like to.”

As for the family’s future, Kelly concluded, “God has already shown himself in many ways, so I’m sure good things are going to happen.”

For more information about the Big Sandwich Theatre Company’s “Holiday Hams” comedy show, click here. For the Roberts family’s GoFundMe page, click here. To donate to the Roberts family through the Canyon Theatre Guild using the notation “Caring for Perry Roberts,” click here.

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