Martin Pistorius, who suffered from locked-in syndrome for 12 years, shared his emotional experience of hearing his mother express a desire for his death, unaware he could understand her. Pistorius, who fell ill in 1988 with symptoms initially resembling a cold, eventually lost the ability to communicate and move, leaving him trapped in his body. Over the years, he was fully conscious but unable to interact, describing his existence as being like a ghost, seeing and hearing everything around him but being invisible.
The stress of caring for Martin took a significant toll on his family, leading to a breaking point where his mother, in a moment of frustration, said, “I hope you die.” Despite the heartbreak of hearing such words, Martin has expressed understanding and compassion for his mother’s feelings, recognizing the immense strain his condition put on his family.
During his time in care facilities, Martin faced neglect and abuse, which he described as being hit, pinched, and dropped on purpose. However, a therapist named Virna Van Der Walt recognized he was conscious through his eye movements and advocated for further tests, ultimately aiding in his partial recovery. Martin slowly regained control over parts of his body and began communicating through eye movements and hand squeezing, eventually using a computer to speak.
Today, Martin lives a fulfilling life in the UK, working as a computer scientist and web developer, and is a happy father of two. Despite losing his childhood memories, he has relearned to read, make decisions, and socialize. His remarkable journey is chronicled in his 2011 book, Ghost Boy, where he goes into detail about his traumatic experience and the profound impact of locked-in syndrome on his life.
