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Rom HoubenBelgian man who was in a coma for 23 years
Country:
 Belgium |
Content:
Biography of Rom Houben
Rom Houben, a Belgian man, spent 23 years in a coma while still being able to feel, see, and hear everything happening around him. His brain functions were also unaffected, so for a quarter of a century, Rom lived as a prisoner in his own body. Unable to communicate with the outside world, he waited for the moment when a doctor would conduct further experiments and find a way to bring him back to life using modern technology. While millions of people suffer from claustrophobia, the fear of confined spaces, Rom Houben finds such a fear trivial. For 23 years, he remained conscious but unable to escape the prison that his own body had become.
Day after day, Rom observed through slightly lifted eyelids and heard everything happening around him. He heard the most secret secrets that people only tell someone who is almost dead, as well as unpleasant things about his own existence. Only with the help of a few doctors and a computer, which he types on with a finger that is somewhat mobile after a series of trials, was Rom able to communicate. His first words, however, were not joyful. As Rom himself says, in 23 years, he had come up with all the jokes with black humor that could possibly exist. Therefore, after a quarter of a century of isolation, he still cannot communicate with people as he did before. "I tried to shout - but I wasn't heard, I couldn't even hear myself," Rom said.
Provoking Discovery
Rom Houben was born in Belgium in the 1960s. While studying engineering, he was involved in an accident that left him paralyzed but fully conscious. For the next 23 years, Rom's body lived separately from his mind, which became a true prison for him. According to Rom, during all this time, he tried to signal to doctors and relatives tens of thousands of times, but it was all in vain. He also believes that his efforts often went unnoticed because he was already considered paralyzed and in a coma. All his, even the most successful attempts, were attributed to the vegetative state of his body.
It wasn't until 2006 that Steven Laureys decided to conduct additional research and discovered brain activity in Rom. Further tests proved that Rom could comprehend information as well as see and hear what was happening around him. As Rom later revealed, he wanted to forget much of what he heard. He also admitted that he did not expect to hear some things from people who were dear to him. However, despite the consequences of his captivity, he is extremely happy to be able to speak with his family and friends again, as well as to be part of society after being an outcast for 23 years.
A Groundbreaking Case
Rom Houben's story shook the medical world and became the beginning of discoveries of people with similar conditions. Doctors themselves claim that Rom's case is almost unique. While many accident victims can remain conscious even when their bodies are paralyzed, only a few can gather enough willpower to endure their confinement, which is even more challenging than the harshest prison sentence.
