Martin Pistorius had just turned 12 when he began to experience the negative effects of a mysterious illness.
He came home from school one day with a sore throat—just days later he found himself unable to eat, sleeping almost constantly, and struggling to speak.
He was soon rushed to the hospital and put on life support, with doctors still trying to figure out what was wrong.
For 12 years, Martin was trapped in his own body. He actually “woke up” at around 14 or 15 years of age. However, everybody around him thought he was completely unconscious.
“For so many years, I was like a ghost. I could hear and see everything, but it was like I wasn’t there. I was invisible,” Martin, now fully functioning, told NBC.
Eventually it was discovered that Martin was hearing and feeling things happening to and around him, and he was slowly brought back into the world. Now he lives a healthy life, having graduated college and gotten married.
Martin now wants people to hear his message of believing anything is possible.
“Treat everyone with kindness, dignity, compassion and respect—irrespective of whether you think they understand or not,” he added.
“Never underestimate the power of the mind, the importance of love and faith, and never stop dreaming.”
