Awakening After 12 Years: "My Soul Was Crying Inside Me"

When Martin Pistorius from South Africa was rushed to the hospital complaining of severe throat pain, none of the doctors who examined him could understand the source of the pain, nor could they explain how within a few hours strange symptoms emerged, like memory loss and general weakness, eventually leading to the collapse of his body.

Just two days after complaining about the pain, the 12-year-old boy became unconscious, and his parents lost hope entirely. "At first, there was some chance he might recover from whatever was ailing him, but as our child began to fade before our eyes and the doctors also lost hope, we knew it was over," the parents recount.

Martin spent 12 years in bed at home in a coma, and when he finally woke up, his doctors discovered an amazing fact: Martin told them that at age 17 he miraculously regained full consciousness, but his physical condition did not allow him to communicate with those around him. "Outwardly, it seemed I was still in a coma," he recalls today. "Even though I tried to cry out and beg people to listen to me, that I was speaking. Not in words, but inside I was like everyone else and I wanted people to notice me."

When he realized there was no hope and that no one was really trying to 'read' his new condition, "I understood I would spend the rest of my life like this, alone with my thoughts. I was in a virtual coma, lost in a land where no one could help me."

"I Am Content With My Life, Can't Ask For More"

One of the defining moments during that unbearable period was when his mother muttered between her lips: "I wish it would end, I no longer care how," obviously referring to the worst possible outcome. This moment, he says, was one of his hardest.

The situation continued unchanged, but inside, Martin was fighting for his life every day. "When my father bathed and fed me, I would cry out to him in despair: 'Dad, I'm here. How can you not see me?' My soul was screaming inside, but all I could do outwardly was stare at him."

When Martin reached the age of 24, the great miracle happened, thanks to a paramedic who noticed Martin was trying to make contact through fleeting facial expressions. He recommended his parents send Martin to a specialist in communication for people in his condition, and lo and behold, the specialist determined that Martin was fully conscious!

When his devoted parents heard this, they quit their jobs and dedicated their lives to developing a special computer program to help Martin communicate through his voice. The development succeeded, and with it, Martin managed to undergo rehabilitation, study, earn a degree, and even get married and publish a book about everything that happened to him. "I am content with my life and can't ask for more," he concludes.