Life after locked-in syndrome: Man finds will to live after rare, paralyzing condition
AURORA, Ill. - Lying motionless in a hospital bed, Jose Rodriguez Jr. lost the will to live.
He'd suffered a stroke, fallen into a coma and awoken with an extremely rare condition known as locked-in syndrome. He was unable to move anything except for his eyes.
Previously a healthy young man, Rodriguez now couldn't walk, talk, swallow or even breathe on his own. He felt trapped inside his body.
As the reality of his situation sunk in - that he could no longer work or hug his mother - Junior, as his family calls him, felt the life he'd had was over. He wanted to die.
To survive, doctors said, he needed surgery for a tracheotomy, to attach a ventilator through his throat to keep him breathing.
Rodriguez's father pleaded with him to have the life-saving operation. But now that he was conscious, the decision was his.
When the doctors asked for his answer - looking up meant yes; down was no - Rodriguez didn't respond at first. He thought of his father, with whom he'd always been close; the two even worked at the same Naperville warehouse. However desperate his situation, Junior decided, he did not want to let his father down. He rolled his eyes upward. He
You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.
Start your free 30 days