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Martin Pistorius
Born
(1975-12-31) 31 December 1975 (age 48)[1]
Johannesburg, South Africa
Citizenship
South Africa (1975–present) United Kingdom (2016–present)
Alma mater
University of Hertfordshire (BSc (Hons), computer science)
Occupation(s)
Freelance web developer/designer, writer
Known for
Ghost Boy
Spouse
Joanna
(m. 2009)
Children
1
Website
www.martinpistorius.com
Martin Pistorius (born 31 December 1975) is a South African man who had locked-in syndrome and was unable to move or communicate for 12 years.
When he was 12, he began losing voluntary motor control and eventually fell into a vegetative state for three years. He began regaining consciousness around age 16 and achieved full consciousness by age 19, although he was still completely paralysed with the exception of his eyes. He was unable to communicate with other people until his caregiver, Virna van der Walt, noticed that he could use his eyes to respond to her words. She sent him to the centre for Augmentative and Alternative Communication at the University of Pretoria[2] for testing, where they confirmed that he was conscious and aware of his surroundings.
His parents then gave him a speech computer, and he began slowly regaining some upper body functions. In 2008, he met his wife Joanna through his sister Kim, and in 2009 they married. He co-wrote his autobiography Ghost Boy with Megan Lloyd Davies, which was published in 2011.[3][4] By that time, Pistorius had regained limited control over his head and arms, but still needed his speech computer to communicate with others. In 2018, it was announced that the couple were expecting a child, and Pistorius was wheelchair racing.[5]
Pistorius now works as a freelance web designer and developer.[6][7][8]
^Martin Pistorius [@martinpistorius] (31 December 2015). "40 years on the planet, what an amazing journey so far - Feeling incredibly blessed, grateful, spoilt and loved today!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
^"Centre for Augmentative & Alternative Communication". University of Pretoria. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
^"February 19, 2010". CBC.ca. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
^Miller, Lulu. "Trapped In His Body For 12 Years, A Man Breaks Free". NPR. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
^Cite error: The named reference bbcvideo was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Deveney, Catherine (17 July 2011). "The Catherine Deveney Interview : Martin Pistorius : Ghost writer". Scotland on Sunday. Archived from the original on 29 March 2015. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
^"Martin Pistorius and Rebecca Grant". BBC London 94.9. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
^Hager, Emily B (25 July 2012). "For Children Who Cannot Speak, a True Voice via Technology". New York Times. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
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