Arrived today from an Amazon seller.

I ordered this book after hearing about it, probably on the radio. It sounded unreal: the story of a boy in South Africa who contracted a strange illness and was left unable to talk, walk, or do anything else on his own. He was taken to a day care every day and left there to be abused by his caretakers. Many of them thought him brain-dead; some even abused him sexually. His family had chosen to keep him at home and did not give up on him, although his case seemed hopeless.

Martin says that his mind gradually awakened and that he was fully conscious by the time he was about sixteen. But he was still trapped. But then one of his caregivers saw the light in his eyes and knew he was in there. She learned to comprehend his limited moves and smiles, asking questions until she landed on the right answers. From there she encouraged others to talk to him, and she suggested to Martin's parents that they look into getting an assessment to find out whether new computer programs might help him communicate.

Turns out they could. Not only that, but Martin showed an aptitude for computers in general and soon took over making decisions about software and modifications himself. He even became good enough to be employed.

The story is a remarkable one, about a boy who now has a fully functioning life in spite of severe disability. I feel that the subtitle misrepresents it, however. A "misdiagnosed boy". I thought the story would be about finding the right diagnosis but it isn't. It also ultimately is a bit too Christian for me as well. I liked it, found Martin to be a decent writer. I like a well-written heartwarming true story yet somehow it seemed to be missing something.

Inside the box.