PureFussTeam
#1 Childhood in the 1980s
Martin Pistorius, a normal child with an interest in electronics, grew up in South Africa, but at the age of 12, a mysterious illness began to take hold of him. His symptoms started small: First, he developed a sore throat, then he began sleeping most of the time, and eventually, he lost his ability to move entirely.
(Martin pictured far right, front)
(Martin pictured far right, front)
#2 A mysterious illness
Doctors believed Martin suffered from cryptococcal meningitis. They were unable to help him, so they sent him home with his parents and told them they should care for the boy until his death.
#3 He was a prisoner in his own body
At home, the family developed a procedure for caring for Martin. The parents bathed him, fed him, and flipped him every 2 hours to make sure he didn’t develop bedsores. During the day they sent him off to a care center. Two years into his coma, Pistorius began slowly to regain consciousness, and by the time he was 16 he became fully aware of his situation; however, he was still not able to move his body at all. It would be 10 more years before he was able to communicate with anyone.
Written by PureFussTeam
