I see the image above as a representation of John locked in his body. The only access he has to the outside world are the two openings which represents his eyes. The machine represents his mind (brain) which is still very active and healthy.
“John, John, if you can hear me look to your left”
That was the doctor trying to communicate with John.
John is a 28-year-old chartered accountant from Canada. Two weeks after his 27th birthday, he caught an infection that led to his immune system launching an attack on his nervous system.
This led to John being trapped in his own body. He was able to see all going on around him, and his mind functioned perfectly well, but he was not able to do anything beyond seeing through his eyes.
He felt trapped within his own body, with his eyes as the only access to the outside world. The worst part was that he had no idea how long he would remain trapped within his body. He had his life trapped in a balance. He was going through a living nightmare.
To help John recover, he was surrounded by people he loved – his mother, wife and kids. His kids put up paintings, writings and drawings with the words “We love you”, to continually remind him that he was loved, and wanted back to his normal self.
Seeing these words warmed his heart, making him long the more to get released from the trap of his body. He was anxious to open his hands to request a wide embrace from his wife and kids. He longed to feel their bodies pressed upon his. He longed to perceive again the fragrance his wife always wore, a cologne he personally bought for her
But unfortunately he could not do this because he was trapped within his own body.
A month after his 28th birthday, John opened his eyes himself for the first time. Not being able to speak still remained frustrating, but now he could communicate with the outside world through eyes movements.
As time went on, John’s doctor was able to acquire a computer that enabled John to communicate using eye-tracking technology. He was now able to enjoy communication with his wife and kids. He could express himself and become the sarcastic and funny John that he always was.
On the 3rd month after John’s birthday, after being worked on intensively for months, the doctor gladly and proudly uttered the following words,
“Welcome back to the world of the talking”
John was now able to talk again. He now learnt not to take the simple things of life for granted, things like walking, talking, speaking, breathing, and so on, but to be grateful and thankful to God for them all.
And most importantly, he learnt not to take family for granted, for they were with him when he was trapped in his body. He was trapped but not alone.