He Was In A Coma For 12 Years, What He Said When He Woke Up Gave Me Chills...

Imagine you are a completely happy, healthy, and thriving individual. Then, one day, you notice that your hands don't work as well as before. Then your legs, your feet, and even your mouth. You can't walk, talk, or move at all for reasons you can't fully understand -- but the entire time, you're completely conscious. You know exactly what's going on around you, even if you can't respond to it. Suddenly, you'r a prisoner in your own body, and there's nothing anyone can do to help you get out.

That's exactly what happened to a South African man named Martin Pistorius, and unfortunately, his story gets worse before it gets better. He suffered from a rare syndrome that has no cure, went through many years of treatment to correct it, and came out on the other side with an inspiring story to tell. Read about his incredible journey below, and remind yourselves that sometimes, not everything is as it seems.

This is the story of Martin Pistorius. 

When he was a kid, he was not that much different than any other. Born in South Africa, he had loving parents and two siblings.

But when he was 12, something started to change.

Nobody know what was going on, but it would affect him for the rest of his life -- and completely destroy his chance at a normal childhood.

At 12, he first fell into a coma.

It was inexplicable, and it lasted for three years.

 

When he was 16, he started regaining consciousness.

But what happened after that was even more challenging than the coma itself.

He achieved full consciousness by age 19.

But even though he was awake, he wasn't really "there."

He'd completely lost the ability to communicate.

His entire body was paralyzed. He couldn't walk, use his hands, or even speak.

His primary form of communication was through his eyes.

His caregiver, Virna van der Walt, noticed that he could use his eyes to respond to things she said.

That's when his family decided to figure out what was going on.

They sent him to the University of Pretoria for testing, where they confirmed he was conscious and aware of his surroundings.

From there, they had to equip him with certain tools he needed to effectively communicate.

His parents then gave him a speech computer, and he began slowly regaining some upper body functions.

The journey wasn't perfect, but his condition continued to improve.

Imagine living a life where you are physically present, but unable to interact with anyone or anything around you. To say it would be a challenge is a huge understatement.

He was able to graduate from school.

His painstaking battle was far from over, but he was able to get closer to having a normal life.

He also met his now-wife, Joanna.

He even moved to the UK to be with her, and their marriage is as strong as its ever been.

Though the darkest days are behind him, Pistorius can't help but remember the past.

At one point, he recalled his mother looking at him and wishing he would die -- not out of malice, but because she didn't realize he was even mentally present anymore.

And locked-in syndrome still remains a mystery.

Doctors say its usually a result of a stroke that damages part of the brainstem, in which the body and most of the facial muscles are paralyzed.

Now, Pistorious can talk (still using the vocoder on his computer) -- but he's still in a wheelchair.

But that doesn't stop him from continuing leading a high quality life full of love and laughter.

His experience has made him even more grateful for the life he has now.

"For so many years, I was like a ghost," he said in one interview. "I could hear and see everything, but it was like I wasn't there. I was invisible."

Though things aren't perfect, he's regained control of his life.

“It was terrifying at times,” he recalled. “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.”

He's even written a book about his experiences.

The memoir is entitled "Ghost Boy," and chronicles the moment he "lost contact" with the world until now.

He's been honored by South African President Thabo Mbeki.

Despite the fact that he now lives in the UK, he still has strong ties to the place he was born -- and the place his nightmare began.

And despite the complications, he still gets things done.

Here's Pistorius, giving a computer-based presentation at international conference in Israel.