Have you ever seen one of those movies where someone wakes up as a ghost but doesn’t know they’ve died? However much I tried, I couldn’t make them notice me. I was invisible. The ghost boy. In January 1988, aged twelve, Martin Pistorius fell inexplicably ill. Within eighteen months he was mute and wheelchair-bound. Doctors were mystified and told his parents an unknown degenerative disease had left their son with the mind of a baby. What nobody knew is that while Martin’s body remained unresponsive his mind slowly woke up, yet he could tell no-one. He was a prisoner inside his own body. It took ten years before a therapist sensed part of Martin was alert and his parents realised their son was as intelligent as ever. With no memories from before his illness, Martin was a man-child reborn in a world he didn’t know. He was still in a wheelchair, unable to speak, but he was brilliantly adept at computer technology. Since then, and against all odds, he has fallen in love, married and set up a web design business. Ghost Boy is a deeply moving account of recovery and the power of love. His extraordinary story acts as a wake-up call to cherish our lives.
