Imagine living in a world, where you couldn’t move or talk. You could never run, walk, play sports, or even tell someone how much you love them. You would almost become an object, a lifeless being, trapped in your own body. How would you survive through something so awful? How would you find the strength to keep going when you could never communicate with anyone? This is exactly what happened during the 80’s to Martin Pistorius.
Before he turned twelve, Martin was your average, everyday kid. He grew up in South Africa, surrounded by a loving family; a mother, father, sister, and brother. But when Martin turned twelve, his life took a dramatic turn. Out of nowhere, he became sick, and was diagnosed with cryptococcal meningitis. The disease progressed throughout his whole entire body, shutting down his nerves, enabling him from moving or talking. In other words, Martin became a “vegetable.” For two years, Martin was unable to function, until gradually he regained his consciousness and could once again think. Now, the only possession Martin had was his own brain.
After that, Martin was overflowing with sadness. He could understand everything yet do nothing. He was stuck inside of his desolate mind, all alone. Martin could hear, he could see, he just couldn’t express himself. And much to his dismay, Martin once heard harsh, careless words coming from his own mother. Joan could not take the suffering she saw him go through every day. One afternoon, when Joan got really depressed she told her son “I hope you die,” unaware that he was conscious the whole time.
Hearing these words hurt Martin more than she could ever imagine. He threw himself into his own mind, trying not to think, for the thoughts brought him down even more. He thought things such as, “No one will ever show me tenderness. No one will ever love me,” and looked down upon himself all the time. But, it also encouraged him to get back on his feet once again. He eventually began to accept his thoughts, and contemplated what his mother meant when she said that to him. He now understood that it was said not out of fate, but due to sorrow of seeing her previously healthy son in such a hopeless state. And so, Martin set out on a new mission: to recover from his disease.
Every day, he would practice by thinking positive thoughts and even figuring out how to tell time, by watching the sun. This was a slow but sturdy process. But eventually, Martin began to exhibit symptoms of movement. Twelve years later, Martin fully recovered from his disease. He is currently 39, happily married, and lives in Harlow, England. He even wrote his own book, “Ghost Boy,” describing how he felt during those twelve lonely years. After a long struggle his voice has finally been heard.
By: Ekaterina Zelenin and Jeyda Birson
Before he turned twelve, Martin was your average, everyday kid. He grew up in South Africa, surrounded by a loving family; a mother, father, sister, and brother. But when Martin turned twelve, his life took a dramatic turn. Out of nowhere, he became sick, and was diagnosed with cryptococcal meningitis. The disease progressed throughout his whole entire body, shutting down his nerves, enabling him from moving or talking. In other words, Martin became a “vegetable.” For two years, Martin was unable to function, until gradually he regained his consciousness and could once again think. Now, the only possession Martin had was his own brain.
After that, Martin was overflowing with sadness. He could understand everything yet do nothing. He was stuck inside of his desolate mind, all alone. Martin could hear, he could see, he just couldn’t express himself. And much to his dismay, Martin once heard harsh, careless words coming from his own mother. Joan could not take the suffering she saw him go through every day. One afternoon, when Joan got really depressed she told her son “I hope you die,” unaware that he was conscious the whole time.
Hearing these words hurt Martin more than she could ever imagine. He threw himself into his own mind, trying not to think, for the thoughts brought him down even more. He thought things such as, “No one will ever show me tenderness. No one will ever love me,” and looked down upon himself all the time. But, it also encouraged him to get back on his feet once again. He eventually began to accept his thoughts, and contemplated what his mother meant when she said that to him. He now understood that it was said not out of fate, but due to sorrow of seeing her previously healthy son in such a hopeless state. And so, Martin set out on a new mission: to recover from his disease.
Every day, he would practice by thinking positive thoughts and even figuring out how to tell time, by watching the sun. This was a slow but sturdy process. But eventually, Martin began to exhibit symptoms of movement. Twelve years later, Martin fully recovered from his disease. He is currently 39, happily married, and lives in Harlow, England. He even wrote his own book, “Ghost Boy,” describing how he felt during those twelve lonely years. After a long struggle his voice has finally been heard.
By: Ekaterina Zelenin and Jeyda Birson