Ghost Boy Analysis

Introduction: ‘Ghost Boy’ is a heartrending, inspirational memoir of a young South African boy, Martin Pistorius who at the age of 12 years was suddenly afflicted with a rare disease which paralyzed his whole body. For 2 years he was almost in a coma but after that he was mentally awake but for the next ten years no one realized it.

Overall impression: The doctors’ diagnosis was that Martin was in a persistent vegetative state when in reality both his brain and his eyes were active, thus putting him in a condition where he underwent immense trauma and anguish. The change came with the arrival of Verna, a caregiver who believed that he was able to understand but not express himself and what followed was a miracle. Though he still cannot speak, he leads a busy life as a web designer based in England and is married. The lucidly written book portrays the loneliness and hopelessness of his condition. Yet, underlying it one can find hope, in his family’s attitude and his innate strength in the face of such despair. What stands out in the book is Martins’ total confidence in God with whom he held conversations in his mind as he

This is a question which comes to the mind when one is suffering from debilitating, terminal illness where there is absolutely no hope of recovery and is one of the most difficult decisions to take. It is often taken after discussions with family members, doctors, social workers and sometimes religious preachers. I feel that if the medical condition is irreversible, i.e. there is no chance of ever becoming better and such illness is a burden on the family, it is better to let go. Though euthanasia or mercy killing, sometimes known as assisted suicide is illegal in many countries, it is still a viable option in such cases. Another option is withdrawal of life support which leads to natural death. However, if there is even a remote possibility of improvement, one should prefer life to