'Ghost Boy' Survives Over A Decade Trapped In His Body | NBC Nightly News 

Does he have the most beautiful smile ever? No wonder she fell in love with him! And he is so beautiful inside... a beautiful and loving heart, despite all the troubles he had.

Ten years trapped in his own body. Ten years in group homes witnessing abuse or being abused himself. Ten years listening in on what people would say when they didn't think others could hear... and yet I see nothing but kindness in the mans eyes. On the very rare chance that I ever meet him I think I'll ask him how he managed to remain so positive.

When the mother said “I’m sorry” it really stung me. One day I hope she forgives herself and enjoys her time with her son.

My GF is a nurse and she works with people who have severe brain damage after trauma and also works with severe dementia patients, often she comes home furius because some one at the hospital, either co worker or family members to the patients has been talking in a not so nice way around the patients, she always sings gently to them and talks them thru everything she has to do with them.... im so proud of her, she is a good person

He got married.. damn son, Good for yu mate.

That smile is really genuine. I don't see that many around me.

He has the most beautiful and sincere smile I've ever seen in any adult.

Makes me literally cry for other disabled children and adults. Their minds are 100% intact but get treated like trash and disregard as not even human, especially in developing countries. I am glad he was able to prove there's a person behind all broken bodies whether they look it or not

his smile is incredible.

His smile is so bright I had to wear sunglasses for this.

I have done countless MRI scans on people who are seemingly unable to understand what is going on and this is why I always talk to people like they understand me. I have scanned people who could not communicate at all and later on I scan them again and suddenly they're recovering. You simply have to treat people with respect no matter what state they're in

Imagine his wife getting angry and switch his setting to a Kermit the frog voice

damn i LOVE it when he smiles. it is so contagious. he smiles with such kind eyes! those are the kind of smiles i cherish.

This man is incredible. True inspiration for the world.

He spent tens years not being able to live his life and then ends up being able to speak, drive, and got married!! His smile speaks volumes!

That's so sad about his mom. It indeed was a moment of despair. The shame was no doubt immense, and doubly so when she found out that he was actually conscious the entire time.

This is one of my nightmares. Being trapped in a body that doesn't work while sound in mind. What a torture that must have been! This guy must be a leviathan of mental fortitude to have been able to keep sane in those conditions.

Honestly in the mother's defense, I would think after 12 years of "hoping" he would come back to normal, she wouldn't want to keep her child in a vegetative state for the rest of his life, which is why she said that. Now I'm not saying that it was the right thing to say obviously, but when you have no clue that your child was able to understand for over a decade, you kinda lose faith.

Martin actually spent just over 12 years in a "vegative ' state. The carer that noticed he was aware needs a medal! He's lived and survived probably the worst nightmare. Trapped inside your body. I've seen a woman that has lived like that for the last 35+ years in my late dads care home. A bad reaction to anaesthetic caused her state. Extremely sad

It’s literally impossible to not smile with him when he smiles.

Stephen Hawking needs to update his computer voice to this Edit : guys i know he passed away this comment was 5 years ago, it did not age well lol

AWWHH when he said he wanted to tell his mum "no you are a good mother" and smiled... i cried ;__;

"Dont overlook whats possible, treat everyone with kindess, dignity, compassion, and respect whether or not you think they can understand or not. To never underestimate the power of the mind, the importance of love and faith and to never stop dreaming." dude is profound

As a physiotherapist I find it amazing that he has full use of his hands after so long, I'm so pleased for him. What a lovely man and such a great story with a happy ending.

Fuck that. Seriously, what an amazing story, but that's horrific.

Woaw when he smiled it was beautiful. I feel like crying😢

This might be of shock but I used to work at a care home for the disabled and the disabled elderly. There is 100% abuse going on behind people's backs and really nothing gets done about it. When I worked there for the 2 months I really tried to give my patients a good day. If youre worried a loved one is getting abused, check their nuckles. the other caregivers would "accidentally" push patients hands into door ways. If anything it taught me to take care of your own because others are way more cruel.

Never assume they aren’t in there until their heart isn’t beating.

I just finished the book. His story was so amazing, sad, uplifting and hopeful. It reminded me that I shouldn't complain about my life! I recommend this book to others! Its a good read. An amazing story.

This needs to be a movie !

I hope he exposes every single person who abused him

This man is incredible. I can't imagine the mental isolation that lasted a decade! Suffering abuse and not being able to do anything about it. What a strong spirit. 💙

His eyes and his smile give him such an aura of kindness, I don't know how to explain it. Incredible story

I love it when he smiles.

Man, despite being through so much that smile is so genuine, and beautiful. You don't see smiles like that nowadays, not even from people who have so much.

The guilt his mother felt after what she said😔 it must have been very hard for her and he said it hurt him but he understood where that was coming from. To have his condition but still be understanding and empathetic towards others, wow he is a angel🥺

I know EXACTLY how he felt! Except my experience was shorter. I caught a very rare form of encephalitis at 15 and woke up completely paralyzed. The first two months in ICU I was completely paralyzed on a ventilator and unable to open my eyes but could hear everything when I wasn't doped to the gills, I had to listen to the doctors tell my parents that I had very little chance of living and to "prepare" themselves for my death. I was finally able to open my eyes and communicate by blinking but spent another 2 months in the ICU and 6 more months getting me stable enough to go home and it took 2&1/2 years for me to learn how to crawl walk write basically everything all over again which they said wouldn't happen. You cannot describe what that full paralysis feels like because unless you have experienced it first hand your mind just can't comprehend it.The best way I have figured out how to describe it to shrinks, friends and family is I just have them lie down on a couch,bed,it just kick back in a recliner with their hands at their side and then I use some strands of hair or string to drag across their face and tell them to not scratch or move as the itching intensives and to remember that I couldn't scratch my face or even tell someone to scratch it, just got to lay there and take it while screaming inside your mind.Anyone who has taken opiates knows one of the main side effects is itching, well they had me on a heavy cocktail and it felt like a thousand ants crawling over my face and I could do absolutely nothing about it, just laid there screaming inside...so try and wrap your brain around that!

no, am not crying, it is the onions

His mom feels so guilty about saying that to him. I am so sad for her. Her words came from a place of love and compassion - she didn’t want her son just surviving as a body. That’s not a life. I can’t imagine what Martin went through, and I can’t imagine the anguish his mother did either.

His mother was honest and you could tell she is sincerely sorry. And Martin's smile is everything!

Moral of the story. dont believe your doctor.

Wow this is unbelievable. I am amazed he didn't go insane and still had his wits about him.

As a fellow South African 🇿🇦 I hope you and your wife are blessed in this life and the next.

I hope and pray they criminally charged the abusers of his past. They need to be held accountable for the cruel actions inflicted against this boy and then a man. God Bless us all.

WHO'S CUTTING THE ONIONS?!?!?

Im sorry for everything he had to go through. Look at his smile tho. Hope you have a wonderful life!

He should leak the names who abused him id totally expose them

It doesn’t happen often but I’ve heard enough stories about people in comas being aware of their surroundings that if I’m ever around someone in a coma I’m just gonna make sure I talk to them for a bit. Might be the only conversation they have in years.

I would be attracted to him too. His eyes and smile. And how much he's been through, I would want to hear all his stories

You can see the kindness in his eyes. Amazing story. Made my day. Puts so called "problems in perspective".

I love this...My nephew is autistic, I see him in there and sometimes he tries to tell us he is in there..Such a wonderful outcome

My late mother was in a coma for her last few hours. I stood at the end of her bed devastated. A student nurse came up to me and said quietly, "Talk to your mum. We had a lesson last week where they told us that hearing is the last sense to go." I sat down, held mum's hand, and talked, and talked. I was shocked when mum began responding to things that I'd said by squeezing my hand. Bless that nurse. She gave me more time with my mum. I guess my experience is why I've cried about this video.

love his smile it just seems so joyful

i personally cannot wait for the day where abuse rates from care hospitals are almost nonexistent. i hear about these stories often and i cannot express how heartbroken i am to hear about it and just how strong Martin is for battling through all that. people who go through years of college for a medical license should NEVER treat their patients in such a manner.

This man deserves the world. He can see, hear, and even drive a car!! Hope he lives a long happy life!

I can’t imagine how it must’ve felt when someone finally saw you after so long. Whoever realized he was awake deserves a medal.

It's awful what people think they are intitled to do to a weaker being. Be it a child, a girl, a woman, a partner, an elderly person or a sick person.

The 34 people who disliked this are just disgusting people who wouldn't help another being if they could & they will have to atone for their dark soul 1 day....

Wow he looks so different. The feeling of regaining control of his life must've been powerful af

The only person I can sympathize w is his own mother. That was certainly one of the hardest decades of her life and the responsibility she must’ve felt was probably hard to deal with.

Da feels on the bus go round and round

if only this world knew this concept 3:27 "Treat everybody with kindness, dignity and companion" then there will be no racism, hatred or greed in this world

His smile radiates from him & lights up the warm. I do believe he holds the key to the true meaning of life! What a beautiful man & a beautiful soul!

He has the most beautiful smile I have ever seen, I’m glad he’s happy and married to the love of his life! 🤍

I've yet to see a version of this story where they actually explain what WAS wrong with him... only that they misdiagnosed him. I would be interested in finding out what his condition actually was.

His smile was so cute 😃❤️

This is a huge indicator to me of what people will do if they think nobody’s watching/listening - and just generally how people categorize living beings on the scale from “Object” to “I should be on my best behavior”... His story says a lot about the people who hurt him, but also about the people who helped him. I’m thankful everyday for people like that who treat the world they’re in with respect, care, and curiosity (the kind of curiosity that would lead someone to notice and explore something like that little glint in this man’s eye).

This guy has the most genuine smile ever. I hope he is doing well now.

he really does have an amazing smile

This brought up more questions then answers

I cried because of how happy I am for this man, and I never cry! You're an inspiration to me Martin (we have the same first name btw) I wish you many years of happiness & success.

I hope he gets justice for what those monsters did to him and others while in care homes.

This has got to be a human's worst nightmare but really, Wow what a survivor. HUGE PROPS MAN. Shows the power of the human spirit but above all else, the courage this man had. I am literally mind blown.

This made my day and put a big smile on my face, I feel so happy for this good man and his family.

What an amazing story and what a brave soul!!! And he owes so much to others who helped him, his mom and the caregiver who helped rescue him. So awful to hear about abuse of people in these homes.

I'm so proud of him! This is truly remarkable and I hope he squeezes everything he can out of life. Live like there's no tomorrow.

This hurts my heart so much, yet brings me so much joy knowing that now he's able to enjoy his life!

My question is, how come the doctors didn't do brain scans? Aren't there machines that can detect and monitor brain activity? Like I don't know much about medicine, but I would think that doctors would only come to the conclusion that he was truly in an unaware comma only if his brain activity was flat.

Thank God this man started to to recovery from his illness.

He has such a genuine loving smile!! I'm so glad he can now communicate and express his feelings.

How could anyone dislike such a powerful, heartwarming story?! I'm so very happy for him and I love the message he shares at the end. ♡

he has such communicative eyes, and a beautiful smile!

That poor mom.. I hope people don't start spreading hate about her in that low part of their lives... Even he said that he understood why she said that. All around, this story is incredibly beautiful, and this man sees and appreciates this world in a way many people never ever can

The absolute strength this man has is incredible. Living through all of this and powering through it is truly amazing. I wish him nothing but the best!

He has such a real genuine I might say beautiful smile that says so many words.

This story needs to be shown to the 99% of us who think life is hard.

Very strange. It is taught in nursing school that even comatose people can hear. One of my clients had anoxic brain damage. I made it a point to speak to him as if he could hear and understand. He was wheelchair bound and had a feeding tube. One day I made a joke and he responded with strained but very purposeful and loud laughter. HE WAS IN THERE! His mother had told me he was all there but I didn't believe her. It was a great lesson.

He has such a beautifully expressive smile and his eyes twinkle simultaneously. I am glad he found someone to love. Fantastic.

His smile is everything

As a trauma nurse, we often discovered patients who had locked-in syndrome, especially on the night shift when the ICU was quiet. You’d sense these eyes following you around from one of the coma patients. As you chat sometimes he would cry or blink repeatedly. Then you would know. Locked In.

Bless this man and his smile! He’s been through so much but still found happiness!!!

What a beautiful smile, love how it lights up his entire face with such pure joy.

This is a beautiful story God bless him for being so strong and overcoming what he been through. Now he's happy with a beautiful wife So happy for him😄

i hope they find the people who maltreated him

I can’t imagine those 10 years but I’m so happy for him now! His smile was pure happiness and his wife is also beautiful.

Wow not only is his smile so pure, you can see him embracing the good despite the bad he's faced. So inspring. 💙😭😭

You are helping so many people, reaching out to them, and God touches others through you. God bless you Martin and Joanna, you have given me hope again for my son. In my prayers

Brings me to tears thinking how he must have felt hearing his mother tell him she wished he was dead.

This is true inspiration. His smile literally lights up his surroundings. I would love to meet this wonderful man.

Some people suffer the most and still come out so sensitive and positive... even after so much suffering, his smile is so forgiving