When 12-year-old Martin Pistorius started feeling ill, the doctors couldn’t understand exactly what’s wrong with him, and day by day, he lost connection with the world, losing ability to talk or move, and he ended up in a coma.
But, much to everyone’s surprise, after 13 years, Pistorius miraculously woke up. But what he had to say about the time he spent in a coma was the true shock of the whole story—and left everyone from the doctors to his family in tears.
A Normal Boy
From the outside, it seemed that Martin Pistorius was a boy just like any other. He was born in South Africa in 1975, and grew up in a perfectly happy and healthy household.
Life was just like it was for any other kid, until suddenly Pistorius’ life would take a dramatic and terrifying turn—and one that would see him hit headlines all over the world.
Because when he was 12 years old, he suddenly began feeling unwell. It didn’t seem like anything too serious—but his world was about to change forever.
Sudden Turn
It happened so quickly, no one could possibly have seen it coming. One day, Martin Pistorius was a perfectly normal, happy and healthy young boy.
And then one day, when he was 12 years old, he started to have a sore throat. He was sent home from school that day, and he quickly lost his voice.
But then things got worse, and he became incredibly tired, sleeping all the time. Before they knew it, Pistorius was avoiding contact with his parents—or anyone at all.
But things were only about to get even more serious.
Out of Options
Pistorius’ parents were terrified and stumped, as were the equally mystified doctors. One minute a happy, normal boy, the next, a barely conscious, silent recluse.
The doctors could not work out what was wrong with him, and he continued to decline before their very eyes. Within 18 months, he was completely mute, wheelchair-bound, and hospitalized.
But as they continued to search for the cause of this sickness, the doctors simply could not explain it.
And this would lead them to make a decision that would haunt them all forever.
Saying Goodbye
As Pistorius spent more and more time in the hospital, the doctors continued to wrack their brains and test him for every possible ailment they could think of.
They tried treating him for various illnesses, such as tuberculosis of the brain and cryptococcal meningitis, but nothing seemed to work.
And finally, they came to the tragic conclusion that they simply could not help Pistorius.
They told his parents that the brain damage would have left him with the mind of a baby, and that they should take him home—and say their final goodbyes.
Defying the Odds
When Pistorius left the hospital that day, both the doctors and his parents didn’t think he would be alive much longer.
But everyone was astonished when, day by day, Pistorius kept on clinging to life. He could not move or speak, but he was alive.
His parents set up a routine of dressing, feeding, and bathing him. They set alarms every two hours to wake up, and turn him over in his bed so he wouldn’t get bed sores.
They continued this routine for 12 years—but they had no idea the truth of this desperate situation.
Locked In
It must have been incredibly hard for Pistorius’ parents, spending all their time looking after their beloved son, with no way to communicate with him ever again.
But it was even harder for Pistorius when, after several years in this vegetative state, he woke up. He gradually began to become aware of his surroundings, but was soon filled with horror as he realized that no one else could tell that he was awake.
“Everyone was so used to me not being there that they didn’t notice when I began to be present again,” he said to National Public Radio.
Living Dead
Can you imagine being trapped inside your own body, fully awake and aware, but without any way to communicate this to the people around you?
Well, that is exactly how Pistorius was living, now that he had woken up from his coma.
“For so many years, I was like a ghost,” he said to NBC News. “I could hear and see everything, but it was like I wasn’t there. I was invisible.”
It seemed like he was awake, but only inside his own imagination.
How was this possible?
Mind Over Matter
The truth was, that even though Pistorius’ mind was now awake and fully functioning again, his body was still essentially in a coma.
And so he knew exactly what was going on around him, but he just had no way of communicating with anybody to let them know that he was awake again.
Surely, eventually someone would realize that he was awake and alert again—but as they had got so used to him living like this, no one was looking for any signs.
Power Outage
It must have been truly difficult and frustrating for Pistorius, fully awake and aware but with no way to let his parents or doctors know this.
“It was terrifying at times,” he admitted to NBC News. “What really got to me was the complete and utter powerlessness. Every single aspect of your life is controlled and determined by someone else. They decided where you are, what you eat, whether you sit or lie down, in what position you lie in, everything.”
Message From the Beyond
It must have been truly terrifying and also incredibly frustrating for Pistorius to be trapped inside his own body like a living ghost.
And it’s not for want of trying—he revealed that he constantly was attempting new ways to alert his carers to the fact that he was now awake, but nothing he tried made any difference.
Though he felt like he was moving his body, he actually wasn’t at all, and everyone remained completely unaware of his silent struggle.
Close to Despair
As you can imagine, this began to take a toll on Pistorius emotionally. Though he was cared for round the clock, his existence within his own mind was incredibly lonely.
“At first, when I was trapped inside my body, my biggest fear was being alone,” he said. “Which I guess is kind of ironic. Because, in a sense, even though there were people around me, I was alone. I think it was more a case that I felt that, as long as my parents were around, there would be someone to look out for me. But if there weren’t, then what?”
TV Dinner
We all know that feeling of being a bit fed up or bored after spending too long doing nothing in front of the TV. But for Pistorius, he had that for literally years—and he could not even tell anyone he was bored!
Pistorius revealed that he spent so much time watching the children’s TV show Barney & Friends, that even now he is just completely sick of it.
“I can’t listen to or watch Barney now,” he revealed, even as an adult.
Poor Parents
Even though Pistorius himself was going through an incredibly difficult and trying time, the truth was he also could see how hard this all was on his parents.
Every day they would come to look after him, and he would never be able to tell them he loved or appreciated them.
“I felt only love and compassion for my mother,” he revealed. “My mother often felt that she wasn’t a good mom and couldn’t take care of me. One of the hardest things for me was I couldn’t tell her that, ‘No, you are doing great.’”
Keeping Busy
It is just impossible to imagine how boring and frustrating it must have been for Pistorius to be wide awake but trapped completely inside his own body, with nothing but his own thoughts to keep him company.
But thank goodness for the small things, as at least he could see and hear what was going on around him.
And he managed to use the power of his mind to keep occupied with the small things he observed—like watching plants grow or a wet floor dry.
But the truth was, it became increasingly hard for Pistorius to stay in touch with reality.
Dream Life
Even though Pistorius was fully awake and aware of his surroundings, he was totally unable to engage with them.
And he did the best he could to keep himself occupied, but the truth was that he began more and more retreating into his own mind as an escape.
“I used to live inside my mind,” he revealed. “Sometimes to such an extent, that I became almost oblivious to my surroundings,” he said. “I’ve had conversations with myself and other people all in my head. I’d imagine I was doing all sorts of things.”
So Near Yet So Far
Pistorius tried everything he could to alert his carers to the fact that he was awake, and also to keep himself occupied in his own mind, and it was incredible the strength of mind he had showed up until this point.
But you have to remember that throughout all of this, he was still very young—and simply missed his parents so terribly.
“I was a child, at the end of the day,” he said. “And what child doesn’t want their mommy and daddy?”
Tough Times
What an incredibly difficult situation. Pistorius was simply stuck in his own body, unable to move, speak, or communicate in any way.
It must have been so hard to keep going, but also, he simply had no other choice, as he was utterly stuck with no way out of the situation.
This desperate situation went on for years and years, with Pistorius turning from a young boy into a man, with still no one any the wiser that he was in fact completely mentally present.
But suddenly, after 13 years, there would come a glimmer of hope.
Seeing the Signs
This desperate situation went on for so many years, that Pistorius must have eventually started to give up hope. Was he just going to languish in this silent, lonely life for the rest of his days, until he eventually passed away without ever communicating with anyone?
But his fortunes turned around when in 2001, a new worker arrived at the care center. She watched Pistorius incredibly carefully, and noticed a few tiny signs that everyone else had missed—signs that he might be more aware than everyone had previously thought.
A New Hope
It seemed that this new care worker had noticed the small signs that no one else had been able to pick up on. Was it because she was new, and so had not, like the others, got used to Pistorius being completely inanimate? Or was she just more perceptive than the others?
Whatever the reason, she had realized there was a chance that Pistorius was still in there somewhere, and so she sent him to the Center for Augmentative and Alternative Communication for a full evaluation.
“She was the catalyst who changed everything,” Pistorius said.
Communication is Key
Once he was transferred to the Center for Augmentative and Alternative Communication, specialists were able to test Pistorius properly for signs of awareness and understanding.
Sure enough, they realized that he was fully awake, and they set him up with special technology and equipment that would help him communicate—for the first time in 13 years!
As Pistorius got to grips with the tech, he began learning how to say key phrases like “I am uncomfortable,” or “I would like something to drink.”
But one phrase he managed to say would stick in his mind forever.
What’s for Dinner
In a moving and heartbreaking reveal, Pistorius shared the moment that he realized his new ability to communicate once again meant that his life could begin anew and perhaps even bear some semblance of reality.
“I don’t think I will ever forget that feeling when my mom asked me what I’d like for supper and I said, ‘Spaghetti Bolognese,’ and then she actually made that,” he said to NBC News. “I know that must seem insignificant, but for me, that was amazing.
Learning from Scratch
As Pistorius continued to get to grips with this new technology that allowed him to communicate once again with his doctors and loved ones, he began to realize just how powerful this equipment really was.
It enabled him to read, write, socialize with others, and—perhaps most importantly—start making decisions for himself once again.
After 13 years, Pistorius had to relearn all of these skills in a totally new way, and he certainly rose to the challenge.
Before long, he had learned how to push himself in his wheelchair, and even drive a specially-designed car for his needs!
Career Aspirations
Now that Pistorius had been given his life back, he was obviously completely delighted and overjoyed. But the amazingness didn’t stop there—as with these new abilities, also came new possibilities and exciting decisions to make.
For example, now that he could function once again, he had to think about what sort of career he would like—and how glorious that this decision was now his and his alone.
And with his new technology available to him, he embarked on a successful career as a web designer.
However, there was still one thing that greatly plagued Pistorius’s mind.
Lonely Hearts
Finally, after 13 years, Pistorius was able to live life as a fully functioning adult once again. After so many years of being trapped and alone inside his immobilized body, he couldn’t believe that he was once again communicating with the world and making his own decisions.
However, though he had now achieved many of his wildest dreams, one thing still evaded him—true love.
“I have so much love inside of me and nobody to give it to,” he revealed to NBC News that he thought to himself.
Little did he know, his chance at true love was just around the corner.
True Love
As Pistorius began rebuilding his life in new and exciting ways, he began to truly yearn for a partner to share all of his adventures with.
And on New Year’s Day in 2008, he chanced upon a woman named Joanna, one of his sister’s friends—and they hit it off instantly.
“(He) had such a nice smile and I just thought he’s really attractive,” she said to ABC News. “He seemed like such a kind person.”
Pistorius, for his part, felt the same. “I just enjoyed being with her,” he revealed. “She made me laugh.”
Wedding Bells
After all Pistorius had been through, it seemed that finding true love was finally the icing on the cake for this miraculous medical marvel.
Not only had he come back from the dead, but he had struggled through 13 torturous years of being unable to communicate, utterly alone with nothing but his own thoughts.
And in 2009 it seemed he would finally never have to feel alone again, as he and his beloved Rebecca tied the knot in the U.K.—where they still live to this day.
And that’s not the only happy news that befell this loved-up couple.
Pitter Patter
It is amazing to think that Martin Pistorius spent so many years trapped in his own body, with no one to talk to or share his thoughts with.
And now, not only was he able to communicate with the world, but he had found his soulmate and married her.
But the long-awaited blessings kept coming for this amazing man, and in 2011, he and his wife welcomed their first child—a son, Sebastian Albert Pistorius.
“The sound of Sebastian’s laughter makes my heart beam with joy,” Pistorius said on Twitter.
Best Seller
It seemed that fate had truly turned around for this incredible man, going from such terrible hardships to building a life full of love and laughter.
But Pistorius’s life was only about to get more amazing, and he continued to exceed all expectations with his incredible abilities and ambitions.
Because in 2011, he released his autobiography, Ghost Boy with publisher Simon & Shuster.
The book was an instant hit, and made Pistorius something of a celebrity, delivering interviews and even a TED Talk.
Looking Forward
It is incredible to look back on all Martin Pistorius has achieved, and the amazing true story of his life. Not only did he overcome such hardships, but he turned them around and, even today, uses his experience as inspiration.
“Life can change so quickly,” Pistorius reminded us all. “It is good to appreciate what you have in this moment. Treat everyone with kindness, dignity, compassion and respect—irrespective of whether you think they understand or not. Never underestimate the power of the mind, the importance of love and faith, and never stop dreaming.”
Pistorius’s strength, determination and zest for life is a true inspiration to us all.
Global Sensation
As you can imagine, Martin Pistorius’ story touched the hearts of millions around the world, and the effect of his words and experience began spreading to more and more fans. His autobiography Ghost Boy received rave reviews from critics, and ended up making him somewhat of a celebrity.
Pistorius began gaining a huge admiring fanbase around the world, and more and more people wanted to hear his inspirational story from himself. But even he didn’t realize just how famous he would become.
Not So Invisible
After years of being locked inside his body with no way to communicate with the outside world, Pistorius felt many times like his existence was completely invisible. But he was certainly making himself and his story known to the world now, and beginning to appear in all sorts of high-profile media.
But his fame really started to soar after he was featured in “The Secret History of Thoughts”, the first episode of the NPR podcast Invisibilia. And his profile was only going to continue to rise.
Motivational Speaker
Looking back to Pistorius’ terribly difficult and lonely years, as he sat locked in his body with no way of alerting the people around him that he was in fact awake and conscious, it’s amazing now to see what kind of life he is living today.
Because he is not just able to finally communicate with others, but he is actually becoming somewhat of a well-known figure on the public speaking circuit. In fact, in 2015 he even gave his own TED talk in Kansas City, called “How My Mind Came Back to Life—and No One Knew”.
Video Star
And it’s not just his TED talks and other motivational speaking engagements that has had Pistorius transform from a trapped child into a fully living and thriving adult, with a successful job, happy marriage and beloved child.
He also opened up about his experiences in an amazing video, which aired in 2018. This video captured the hearts of millions across the world as he revealed what it was really like to be trapped inside his own body with no way to communicate.
But that wasn’t all Pistorius was planning to do with his second chance at life.
Hope for the Future
Pistorius’ audience at the parliamentary reception listened enraptured to his story and the harrowing truth of his experience. But there was hope.
“Thankfully, my life began to change in 2002, when someone who had happened to have heard about augmentative and alternative communication met me and suggested I be assessed to see if I could communicate,” he revealed. “Thankfully my parents were willing to try it and were quite persistent about me being given an opportunity to communicate. In March 2003 I truly began my journey back into society. I stopped going to the care home for the profoundly mentally and physically disabled and began my working career.”
Living for the Moment
Pistorius had the whole room listening in silence as they shuddered to think of the terrible suffering he had been through. But he had a message of hope for each and every one of them.
“I now truly enjoy a life worth living” he said. “I am a fully fledged member of society; a student studying towards a computer science degree; a qualified web designer, contributing to the economy, and a husband married to the most wonderful person in the world.”
But Pistorius’ message is about more than just hope for the future—it’s about how we can give this to everyone.
Communication is Key
For Martin Pistorius, his incredible experiences left him with a profound understanding of the importance of communication.
“None of this would have been possible without the ability to communicate,” he said. “Communication transformed me from an object to be cared for, to a human being with hopes, wants, needs and aspirations.”
And he summed it up most perfectly with this inspirational quote: “if all my possessions were taken from me, with one exception, I would choose to keep the power of communication, for by it, I would soon regain all the rest”.
