The Boy in the Bubble | Retro Report | The New York Times 

Just imagine being a mother and the first time you touch him will be when you bury him

When nasa gave him a astronaut suit my heart melted

imagine your child dies and TV shows start to make a joke out of it

I am someone with severe autoimmune deficiencies, and multiple rare diseases. Without David and his mother and his work I’d have died years ago. Every spring my body revolts, and I start going into anaphylaxis every time I am exposed to common seasonal allergies. The research he helped spur has saved my life many times over, and will continue to save lives all over the world. I am eternally grateful.

The poor mom looks like she still agonizes over the decision she made w him. 😥

That poor woman. She buried two of her children. How heartbreaking 😢

“Why don’t we pull all these tubes out and let me go home?” absolutely broke my heart.

We be complaining about being at home for 8 months while this kid has LITERALLY been quarantining his ENTIRE life 🙄

Rip to all of the children that passed away for this

“I always thought that at some point,when david left the bubble that he would be a researcher himself and help mankind that way. It turned out, he is helping mankind but in a different way.” The most powerful message ive ever heard

At least he lived 2 weeks out of the bubble imagine the happiness of being out for 2 weeks after spending your whole life in a bubble.

'Why don't we just pull all these tubes out and let me go home' This line killed me

I literally just realised that if David had lived, he would have been 47 years old, probably married with children

I didn't realize "bubble boy" was based on a real bubble boy

sad that davids life is a joke to many. he was such a strong little boy who didn’t deserve any of that. his story is so inspiring

If he was born today, he would’ve lived. This is so sad, knowing that she lost 2 of her kids from the same disease. ❤️

Seeing him in that bubble is so heart wrenching and breaks me. I can't even imagine how he survived and lived all his life in there. God bless him.

Wow just wow reality is stranger then fiction

“But it turned out, that he is helping mankind, but in a different way.” A very bitter-sweet yet powerful way to end the video.

This truly makes everyone realize how gifted they are in life...

Boy: mommy! I'm a star! Mom: why, yes you are sweetie, you're the light of my life. Boy: not that kind of star mommy, I'm famous! Well thats a bit sad.

His life was like a sadder Truman Show.

9:02 This made me extremely angry. This boy contracted a rare disease that he did not survive and they JOKE?!

I buried one child... I can’t imagine burying another.

I went to the school dedicated to this boy, David Elementary was one of the best school years of my life. The mother would come and speak to us about her son every year.

I knew David. I knew his Mom and Dad. I went to his House and talked to him. His Sister was a Member of my Swim Team, and all of us protected David's Secret with our Live's. He was funny, happy to a point, and very cool to know, in every Way. God rest him , for his Bravery. Few will ever face what he had to face.

Breaks my heart when children can’t live their life to the fullest

If I was in a bubble, I rather die by hugging my parents than live in a bubble for 12 years

So moving, heartbreaking. I'm glad newborns are getting tested. But, why are some states not doing it?

That “hi, mom” w/ a peace sign at 12:02 gave me a stab in the heart. Such an innocent, loving boy.

This brought tears to my eyes. As a mother, I can't even imagine what these mothers went through and the courage it took to keep them sane.

The fact that it worked for a while and then gave him cancer and then his heart stoped makes me cry every time.

how does the inside of the bubble stay sterilized?

His death was not in vain.

I think his 2 weeks outside his bubble feels like years for him.I can't imagine how excited he was on that day.

By chance, I stumbled on this site and it brought back bittersweet memories. I had the extraordinary opportunity to film David, his mother, his sister, and his doctors for a PBS documentary. I had already heard the complaints of people who were upset that the March of Dimes was spending so much money to keep this child alive. It is important to remember that no one knew how David's story would end. Furthermore, he was a bright, active, and very personable child. There was real warmth, love, and affection freely expressed between him and his mother as well as his sister. The children even played together. When David went to the hospital, he charmed the nurses and doctors. I don't believe that any of them saw David as a medical experiment. They saw a small boy for whom they were trying to find a cure. In the attempt to find a cure, David accomplished a great deal. He left a life-saving legacy which is more than many people who have hung around for sixty, seventy, eighty years, and more have done. - - Somewhere in a locker is the original film that was transferred to videotape for the PBS broadcast. Perhaps there is an institution that would like to have it.

hit me right in the feels

Man, those parents that turn advocates after the loss of their children are absolute heroes to me and the bravest people I’ll ever see. If that happened to me I could only see myself become more bitter and angry as science progresses. Always thinking, “Why couldn’t you have saved him. Why not then? Why now?” Applause for them.

Just heard about this in a biology class. Can't imagine a child going through this. So heart-wrenching.

Who else is watching this during COVID19 quarantine?

I cried while watching this. David was such a beautiful boy.

It's always a tragedy to lose a child. But it's amazing how David's life has helped so many others. He lives on through them.

imagine how bad the sister must feel :(

David and his mother are helping people today .....Thank you David . You were so brave .

This is heartbreaking to me

You know, I was having a bad day and was about to go to bed. Then I saw this in my recommended and decided to watch it. It's nice to know about something great in this world. Thanks, goodnight.

i think it was a bit insensitive that even after david's death, it was only used for comedy purposes, must've been difficult for his mother to just sit there and watch people mock him about being in a bubble and even making series/sitcoms about it. rest well david, you will be missed, he would've been 50 by now..🕊💓

I cried so much watching this. I remember David. I was a few years older than him, and I remember seeing him on the news. I remember when he died. I was blessed with two sons, who I love with all my heart. I can't imagine the loss that these moms suffered.

This is one of the saddest documentaries ever! I don't care how inspiring it is, this health condition and circumstances this boy was in made him and alot people around him suffer! Those poor people to have to have lived with that sadness all their lives! You see it in that mother's face, and even those doctors who tried they very best!

That poor kid. Totally heartbeaking.

God please just keep your love around this mother. How heartbreaking.

I remember reading a prompt on the reading portion of the standardized test about his life. I never thought a test would ever almost make me cry.

The mother wasn't selfish, far from it. It comes down to how the child would have to decide for themselves, if David had grown into an adult what choice would he have made? The damage on his physique was already done and he may have not been able to function in society. If you had been in this situation what would you have done, I myself would probably have asked for a way to be 'relieved' of my life though my life would be in the hands of God and not necessarily be my conscious choice as to whether or not I would live.

It is offensive, but had it not been for these tasteless cultural references, I'd have never known about this. I'm not sure how I should feel about the bubble boy jokes.

My daughter had a NMNASCT in 2004 She, my grand daughter, and granddaughter to be clearly have much to thank David for. David. You will always live in my heart ..

“Let me go home” He discussed this a lot.. so why did the doctor say “David was funny” when he said that?💔There are many more details to his story. I really don’t know why, once he so very sick, his mom, his parents, were told they could not touch him without a glove. It wasn’t until he was in coma, from what I remember, that she was allowed to stroke his hair! 😥💔Was there any follow up on the sister who have him the BMT??

It’s so sad to lose your child . I’m so glad that if identified they can prevent death. David was a beautiful boy. His sister did a wonderful thing. Through their help they have saved others who would have died.

I can’t even begin to imagine how traumatic it must’ve been for his sister given the fact that she was the bone marrow donor. Imagine trying to help save your brothers life and in the end the exact opposite happens.

It's a tragedy he pass so young but he saved countless lives in his wake David is a hero, even if he never knew it

7:45 I have hemaphilia and when he had the same effects as me (blue lips, trouble breathing, ect.) I felt really bad because it's really hard to survive as an infant when you get that bad.

There's a school and a park named after him in Houston 💚

This will always be a powerful story.

Very emotional! Appreciation to the family for being so transparent with such a private, emotional and eventually such a tragic family trauma. I’m deeply humbled by this family that made their experiences public so the rest “of the world” learned about how cruel life can be. Thank you so very much and may God bless

This was one of the saddest stories about a child I ever heard about 😞

Wasn't John Travolta a little old to play a kid born in 1971?

I wonder what type of food he ate

Thank you David and family. I'm alive because of you all. Really thank you for all my wonderful days if life through your sacrifice and hardship...❤

Two of my sisters had SCIDS too (one died from it too) and a few years after I met David’s parents, sister, and nephews. My youngest sister is only alive today because of the same reason David got to live longer than his brother. My youngest sister was able to get a bone marrow transplant and she is doing great now with only minor issues from the radiation she had to receive. She’s very annoying but I’m glad she’s alive and I still miss my sister.

I hadn't thought about this in years. David was a few years younger than I was, so kids of my generation were aware of him, and he was in Houston besides. I am very glad to know that his life helped others later on, and that discoveries are still being made, progress is still ongoing because of this, for immunity and other things. That's unselfish.

Such a beautiful child. . . .

Such as beautiful young boy..no matter what he tried to stay in good spirits and also wanted his mother and everyone around to be in good spirits he is definitely an angel now

That dear sweet child. He was a star... something you can't touch that shines bright for all too see. 🙏💙

I remember watching this movie.. It broke my heart to see what this family went through.. I remember him on the news in the late 80's...

Always thought it was positively ludicrous for a fully-grown John Travolta to portray the "Bubble Boy". Couldn't they find an *actual BOY* for that role?

His mother is the absolute sweetest I attended David elementary when I was child and it was the most beautiful and kindest school, his mother always came and told her story and just adored every student

David had the eyes of an angel.

I understand why spams saw the controversy of the case, because every human being has the right to live a independent life. But taking David out of the bubble would means to take is right to life away from him.

Aaaaaw these poor babies. Why does this happen to these innocent souls? 😔

My son also was born with a severe autoimmune disease. He had a bone marrow transplant and is going great thank God. 🙏

My first thought was “Alec Benjamin”

Poor poor boy diserves to be in Heaven.

Brandon's mother got more beautiful with age.

Most of us who grew up in the 70s remember that movie with John Travolta. How incredibly sad for his sister to have lovingly shared her bone marrow only for him to have died from it. I wonder how she handled that. No doubt there would be deep feelings of guilt, even though it was no fault of her own. Just tragic. Of course if the parents had known what was to happen, they would have had him experience a day of fun - maybe out to eat, to a playground and maybe home to hang out with his family... even if only for a day. What a tragic ending. 💔

There’s a school called David Elementary that I went to in kindergarden. We had a fun run in memory of him and his mom was there. I met her

that footage of David playing with the ball in his suit 💔 RIP

This had me in tears. I’ve got CVID and have been inside my home now 2 years. Thankyou to these courageous parents.

I used to have classes with a boy who had a autoimmune deficiencies until he got taken out of classes due to COVID 19, I was very good friends with him. He died 2 weeks later.

My nephew died from this in 1986 at 6 weeks old. No one knew until his autopsy. It still makes me very sad.

Thank you for sharing David’s story once again, for a new generation. He was so brave and courageous.

Thank you David and family! Take solace in the fact you have helped save countless lives...

What a heartbreaking story about a great little boy and his wonderful mom! God bless you ❤️❤️❤️

He so freaking adorable

David's story is so heartbreaking, and yet it shows true strength and courage from him and his family. It also brings us hope and gratitude. Hope that we can prevent SCID in the future due to his legacy. Gratitude for each day we have.

Lol why would they get adult John Travolta to pay him?

I’m from Houston Texas and I remember in 73 my third grade teacher read us about this young boy and that’s the first time I felt compassion for others . I started to cry my teacher hug me at that time teachers would hug and nurture their students that’s something they can’t do anymore through life I always thought about him I wanted to be his friend. Rest in peace David You are gone but not forgotten your friend from a mile away thank you David for Help others yes you are famous and you are still love 💕

My son has Addison disease and thanks to these people my son was able to live outside the bubble. Thank you for what you guys gave. My son had adrenal surgery when he was 3 years old. Yes he takes medicine everyday to help him live but thank you again.

That last line from the mom.... I'm actually crying...

David's mother seems like such a kind and gentle person.

:'( Bless his soul and all others that have lost their lives because of this. That poor mother and sister.

9:01 that's insulting and i agree and also nothing to joke about.