Ghost Boy: The Miraculous Escape of a Misdiagnosed Boy Trapped Inside His Own Body (2011)

The focus of Chapter 6, “Awakening,” lies mainly on Martin’s assessment at the Center for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). Two specialists, Yasmin and Shakila, conduct his assessment. His family, Virna, an additional caregiver named Marietta, and a physical therapist named Elize all join him. Shakila determines that Martin is able to communicate through a device that consists of a dial scan and a head switch, after he proves that he is fully aware of the conversation in the room by tracking with his eyes. Towards the end of the assessment, Shakila shows Martin a Macaw, a communication device that could eventually give him a computer voice through which he could communicate. Martin is at once amazed and fearful, having grown unaccustomed to the power of communication.

Chapter 7, “My Parents,” provides deeper insight into Martin’s perception of his father, Rodney, and his mother, Joan. More particularly, Martin explains that his mother’s feelings about Martin’s condition were complicated, as she believed that all their care for Martin would eventually have a negative effect on his siblings, David and Kim. She saw Martin as the child she had lost. Eventually, his mother would attempt suicide by overdosing on pills, as her “unhappiness soon spiraled so badly out of control” (34). Meanwhile, Rodney remained constant in his care for Martin. As he concludes the chapter, Martin expresses that eventually his mother recovered, and became involved in his care once more.

In Chapter 8, “Changes,” Martin highlights how his assessment with the speech therapists has started to shift his reality. As Martin writes, “The changes are so small that my parents might not even be aware of them, but I can sense hope in the air for the first time in years” (37). Martin has experienced the most important change of all—the shift from desperation to hope. In “The Beginning and the End,” Martin reflects on his time in Alpha and Omega, the care center he went to for years. He expresses gratitude for the care staff, but also alludes to acts of aggression and negligence. In Chapter 10, “Day by Day,” Martin explains how many of his hopes and expectations changed on a daily basis. As Martin and his parents learn the best methods for communicating through AAC, their new discoveries intertwined with disappointments and setbacks. At this point, Martin’s day-to-day routine has not changed dramatically, but he has started to dream about a life he once thought was utterly impossible.

Chapter 11, “The Wretch” juxtaposes how Martin felt around Virna with the perception that so many others had of him, that his existence was wretched and tragic. Virna made him feel valued, seen, and heard. As Martin writes, “she [Virna] comforts and heals, making me feel like something other than the repulsive creature I know I am” (53). Martin concludes the chapter by ruminating on how embarrassed he often felt in his condition.