First published 2013
Martin Pistorius begins this memoir at age twelve in January 1988, when an unknown illness steals his voice and appetite. Within eighteen months, doctors declare him mentally disabled with less than two years to live. His parents move him to care facilities for severely disabled children. The medical establishment writes Martin off as a vegetative case. His family believes their son is gone forever. But Martin remains mentally alert inside his unresponsive body for ten years. He experiences abuse from caretakers who assume he cannot understand. His parents' marriage fractures under the weight of grief and stress. Martin eventually finds ways to communicate and reclaim his life. He builds a business, discovers love, and emerges from his silent imprisonment. This account reveals how misdiagnosis can trap a person in their own body and how determination can overcome seemingly impossible circumstances.
Genres: medical, autobiography, biography-memoir, disability
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: overcoming-adversity, perseverance
Period: 1988, 1990s
288 pages · Paperback · Thomas Nelson
Content warnings: abuse, medical-trauma