Man awakens from 12-year-long coma

When Martin Pistorius was 12 years old, he became very ill. After two years of illness, spending most of his time sleeping, he became so sick that he lost his ability to move. Then he lost his ability to make eye contact, and finally his ability to speak. He was left in a coma. The family finally received a diagnosis of cryptococal meningitis, and now they are sharing their story.

His parents, Rodney and Joan, told National Public Radio (NPR) that the doctors sent Martin home with the instructions to simply keep him comfortable. As far as anyone knew, Martin was simply not there anymore, and his parents were told he had zero intelligence. The doctors said he wouldn’t live long.

....This life went on for 12 years, no one thinking Martin could understand anything that was happening.

Martin says that about two years after entering the “vegetative” state, he began to wake up. And he says he was completely aware but unable to move. In his book, Ghost Boy: My Escape From A Life Locked Inside My Own Body, Martin writes about what life was like during those years.

“Everyone was so used to me not being there that they didn’t notice when I began to be present again,” explains Martin. 

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