A man presumed to have been in a deep coma for 23 years has hailed his “second birth” after doctors realised that he had been fully conscious all along but unable to communicate.
Rom Houben, 46, was paralysed in a car accident and declared to be in a persistent vegetative state, while in fact he remained aware of his surroundings and could hear his doctors gradually give up hope on him.
Mr Houben had been written off as being in an extinct state after the athletic former martial arts enthusiast, keen wind-surfer and engineering student was gravely wounded in a car crash in 1983 when aged only 23.
Rom, who is still paralysed and dependent upon carers around the clock, recalled the terrifying realisation after he came round from his accident when he knew that he had lost complete control of his body — and no one knew that he was fully conscious. “I screamed, but there was nothing to be heard,” he said.
This is the most horrible story I have heard all year, it is the stuff nightmares are made of, I am claustrophobic to the extent that I wont even be buried when I die, instead I want to be cremated, just to make doubly sure I’m dead.
As unlikely as it is the thought of suddenly waking up in a coffin, six feet under petrifies me, before anyone tells me its impossible, because of medical advances embalming fluid etc, well I know all that it it still terrifies me.
What Mr Houben suffered is a 23 year old version of that feeling, I am a little confused to the circumstances though of the erroneous diagnosis, I thought that the brain gave of electrical impulses that showed when it was active, I’m certain that in all that time he would have had numerous brain scans.
Looking for someone to blame will serve no purpose now and monetary compensation is of no use to Mr Houben, but it has bought about new diagnostic techniques that hopefully will ensure this cant happen again.
Stand by for the film which is probably already in the pipeline, Hollywood is notoriously quick at this type of thing, I for one though wont be going to see it.
Hi, I was also taken in by this. I'm amazed at at how quickly this story spread considering the details.
ReplyDeleteHis brain activity is indeed consistent with that of someone conscious but the details are now coming out that the communication is a swindle.
He has only communicated via "facilitated communication" which means someone holds his hand while he is typing. This is highly controversial and has never passed a scientific test e.g. asking them to describe a simple picture (a cat or dog or other animal) without the facilitator seeing.
Wanting the story to be true doesn't make it true I'm afraid.
Thats interesting Chris, I havent seen the storys you refer to regards a swindle, I hope your right and it is a con because like I said it is a horrible story.
ReplyDeleteI just read a piece in the times, that says a test was performed whereby Rom was shown certain items without his carer in the room then when she re-entered he was able to type out the correct answers, this appears to prove he was not being guided by the carer and can in fact type himself.
ReplyDeleteYou must mean this article http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article6930608.ece
ReplyDeleteThere is definitely no proof there. "Facilitated communication", which this is, claiming minute movements are detectable, has never passed a scientific test.
There is no reference to proof in that article. The only "evidence" is that someone who is a professor claims it's true. That isn't science as there are other professors saying it's dubious.
The speed at which "he" types looks extremely suspicious.
It's not for me to prove it's false, it's for the research to prove it's true.
This "facilitated communication" hand holding was debunked many years ago.