Teen’s Words Evoke Tears Upon Awakening From 12-Year Coma
A Long Period Of Inactivity
As a child, Martin Pistorius spent twelve years in a coma. He was assumed to have been mentally dead for the whole time by everyone around him; they assumed he didn’t have a conscious experience at all.
The coma was broken years later by Martin. He revealed that he had not been unconscious, which everyone found baffling. His vision, hearing, and thinking were still intact. As he described his experiences in detail, everyone around him was bewildered.
Consciousness Remained
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Can you imagine what it would be like to be trapped in a coma? Comas cause some people to lose consciousness. Some people, however, remain conscious throughout the process. Despite being aware of the world around them, no one else is aware that they are aware.
A similar fate befell the protagonist of this story, Martin Pistorius. There are a lot of things that people may question after he reveals what he saw on the other side of the coma.
Pistorius’s Story
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Martin was a healthy 12-year-old boy who had never suffered from any type of health issue. It was his passion, and he was very good at it, that kept him interested in electronics. Future plans for him included becoming a hardware engineer.
He and his family were struck by a sudden tragedy one day. Nothing could have prepared Martin for what was about to happen.
The Beginning
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In a flash, he came home with a sore throat one day. He began having difficulties moving his limbs shortly thereafter. What it was couldn’t be determined by the doctors.
Tuberculosis and cryptococcal meningitis treatment was provided to him. Unfortunately, nothing worked. Within a short period of time, things started to go south.
The Situation Worsened
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The situation got even worse for Martin within a year. Eventually, he lost all movement, eating, drinking, and speaking abilities. No one could figure out what was causing this. Every day, his chances of getting better seemed to dwindle.
As a result, he was incapable of even making eye contact, listening, or seeing. It all happened within a year. A vegetative state had now taken hold of Martin. As a boy, he was an empty shell of who he once was. Does he have a chance of waking up again?
Eventually, Hope Was Lost
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It was thought by the doctors that there were none. Martin’s quick decline still remained a mystery to doctors. His parents were informed one thing, though, given how quickly he fell into a vegetative state.
The coma likely would not allow Martin to recover. If he hadn’t been there, it would be just like he hadn’t existed. A lifetime of unconsciousness would be his lot. The only choice left to his parents was to take him home and look after him until he passed away. Those are the words of the doctors.
An Agonizing Experience
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For a few years, things went as planned. The thought that their beloved boy had become nothing more than an unconscious body was heartbreaking for Martin’s parents. Everything but his basic bodily functions had disappeared.
All these years later, they still cared for him. One can only imagine the hardship they faced. Martin, how was your experience?
Is He Awake?
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As a matter of fact, Martin was not conscious at all for two years. Despite his surroundings, he was unaware of anything. It turned out that something never could have been predicted by the doctors.
As he slowly regained consciousness, he started to become more aware. After a while, he was able to see, hear, and think about the world around him again. Still, he wasn’t able to move or communicate. The people around him assumed he didn’t know anything about what was happening. There was a long period of time when this occurred. Marin’s response to the situation?
No Place Like Home
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His frustration was unbearable. If you were in a coma yourself, there’s nothing worse than watching your loved one slip into one, and you were there physically but not mentally.
Everyone around Martin treated him like he was blind and unable to see, hear, or think. Martin was viewed as more of an object than a person by them. Suddenly, the stark reality hit me. For the rest of my life, I would be alone. He had only his thoughts for company. How did they go?
Feelings Of Negativity
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Not particularly cheerful, to be honest. The first stage of awakening was marked by the realization that no one would ever show him tenderness or love him. He heard his mom saying, “I hope you die,” at one point, almost causing him to give up.
It was just a terrible and absolutely alone experience for Martin. He thought that would be the way things would always be. He had an even worse day due to one thing.
His Worst Fear
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In the children’s cartoon, Barney, the purple dinosaur, appeared. For hours and hours, they played reruns of that TV show in Martin’s special care center. Martin confesses his disdain for Barney, “I could never adequately express to you how much I hated him.”.
Initially, Martin may have found regaining consciousness to be hellish. There may have been a better solution if he had not realized anything at all. A turn of events occurred, however.
Looking Up
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With time, Martin became more adept at entertaining himself and removing himself from negative thoughts. The changes in light helped him track the time of day. Furthermore, he developed compassion for his parents’ frustration and understood their attitude.
He often entertained himself with his imagination, developing a rich inner mental life. In spite of his situation, he began to learn how to enjoy life. Things got better after something happened.
Reaching Out To Him
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Martin had to regain communication with his surroundings for a few minutes! The last time Martin tried to contact his parents was a few years ago. Although he could barely move and couldn’t talk, he still couldn’t speak.
All he could do was twitch his muscles in a certain way, hoping it would be recognized by someone as a sign of awareness. The incident went unnoticed by his parents. In the care center, Vera, the massage therapist, began to notice.
Returning To Normal
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Martin gradually recovered his contact with the outside world with time. Neither he nor he could speak, nor would he be able to move freely afterward. Through the use of a keyboard, he learned how to communicate.
Even though Martin’s circumstances and story are extremely challenging, he has been able to function and enjoy life the same as everyone else. Life became worth living because he was able to use his imagination, reasoning, and mind to the fullest extent possible.
An Update on Martin’s Life
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Martin is now happily married to his wife, Joanna, and has written and published a book about his experiences, Ghost Boy: the miraculous escape of a misdiagnosed boy trapped inside his own body.
“The only way to give hope is to treat everyone with kindness, dignity, compassion, and respect, regardless of whether you think they comprehend or not. According to him, “Never underestimate the power of the mind, faith, and love, and never stop dreaming.”
