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Life in a bubble (8 photos)
The boy in the photograph was called David Vetter (David Vetter). He lived a short, brilliant in their own way, but in fact infinitely tragic life. Severe combined immunodeficiency syndrome, identified at the stage of pregnancy, has led to the fact that right from the womb David Vetter got into isolated from the outside world impermeable plastic bubble, in which spent 12 years.
The first son of David parents died in age of seven months. Death was due to dysfunction of the thymus - cancer, in which the maturation, differentiation and immunological "learning» T-cells of the immune system. The reason for this dysfunction syndrome was severe combined immunodeficiency (stki). At each subsequent child was a 50% chance of inheriting this syndrome. Doctors suggested in this case immediately after birth place the child in a sterile isolator that after some time for bone marrow transplantation. As the donor was supposed to make Vetter daughter Katrina.
The couple passionately wanted to have an heir, and decided to take another pregnancy, believing that after a short treatment their child will be able to lead a normal life. To leave was prepared sterile cocoon where David was placed less than 10 seconds after birth. At the same time David was baptized with holy water sterilized.
However, after the birth of David revealed that Katrina is not compatible donor, and a bone marrow transplant is not possible. Bubble, was conceived as a temporary solution, has become his home. David grew up, and it soon became necessary to equip for him and the whole bladder hospital room.
Water, air, food, clothing - everything was special treatment before you get into the bladder. All manipulations were carried out through the walls of the bladder attached to the plastic gloves. Motors, which supported the bubble inflated, published loud noise that interferes with the normal to talk to David. When he was three years old, was attached to the bladder gaming compartment. But David refused to move to a new "room" of his bladder until psychotherapist Mary Murphy persuaded him not, suggesting a good look goldfish aquarium with which she held in her hands.
Doctors and parents tried to make his life normal. He studied, watched TV. But David wanted himself to be a part of the world, that he saw through the window and on the TV. He once said: "For me decide everything, what should I do. Why should I learn? Why should I read? What's the use? I still can not do anything? So what is all this? »
When David was about three years old, he could spend two or three weeks at his parents' house, where the established bladder. His sister slept with him in the same room. They were friendly, though sometimes fought using gloves. Once David Katrina hit and walked to the far wall of the bladder, where she could not get it. But in the end prevailed Katrina - she threatened to turn off the bubble, and even did it a few times. If the main bubble deflates David could take refuge in a small interior bladder.
He had friends, his classmates came to visit. Once they even arranged for him to view the "Return of the Jedi" in the local movie theater where David was brought to the bladder, which is usually carried home from the hospital.
When David was 4 years old, he found that the bladder can make holes using a syringe accidentally left there. Then the doctors had first races tell him about bacteria and about his illness. By five years David fully realized their difference from others, and understand what the future he will.
Despite the fact that the media created an image of an otherwise healthy boy trapped in a bubble, in the life of the mind of David was unstable due to the lack of human communication and awareness of the hopelessness of their situation. In appearance he was usually stressed polite, but found a way fury. Once he scattered inside the bubble own excrement. In addition, he was very afraid of bacteria. He often had nightmares about the "King of microbes»
In 1974, NASA developed for David suit that would allow him to take a walk outside the bubble. When he was awarded the suit, David refused to wear it in front of the press. Later, when reporters went, fitting all the same place, but David did no more than six steps. Later, he made himself a costume, but wore it only seven times until it became him small. New suit provided NASA, he did not put on never.
Over time, the situation became unbearable. Chances of finding a treatment does not increase. Doctors feared that as a teenager, David will become more aggressive and unpredictable. The US government is going to cut funding for the project, which has already demanded $ 1.3 million but did not bring any tangible results.
In 1983, when David was 12 years old, the same three doctors that originally came up with the whole experiment, suggested his parents to do a bone marrow transplant despite incomplete compatible donor. Find entirely suitable donor did not succeed, and in the past years there has been great progress in operations with incomplete donors.
The operation went well and within a few months after she had strong hopes that David will be able to finally leave the bubble. But then David for the first time in my life ill. At the beginning of diarrhea, fever, vomiting and internal bleeding. As it turned out, the bone marrow Katrina contained traces of sleeping Epstein-Barr virus. Once in the body of David, the virus began to spread rapidly and has created hundreds of cancer. The symptoms were so severe that he had to be extracted from the bladder to treat. When his father asked him directly if he wants to leave the bubble, David replied that he agreed on anything, just to feel better. Outside the bubble of his condition continued to deteriorate, and he fell into a coma. Then his mother for the first time in my life been able to touch his son. He died 15 days later, on 22 February 1984. He was 12 years old.
The first son of David parents died in age of seven months. Death was due to dysfunction of the thymus - cancer, in which the maturation, differentiation and immunological "learning» T-cells of the immune system. The reason for this dysfunction syndrome was severe combined immunodeficiency (stki). At each subsequent child was a 50% chance of inheriting this syndrome. Doctors suggested in this case immediately after birth place the child in a sterile isolator that after some time for bone marrow transplantation. As the donor was supposed to make Vetter daughter Katrina.
The couple passionately wanted to have an heir, and decided to take another pregnancy, believing that after a short treatment their child will be able to lead a normal life. To leave was prepared sterile cocoon where David was placed less than 10 seconds after birth. At the same time David was baptized with holy water sterilized.
However, after the birth of David revealed that Katrina is not compatible donor, and a bone marrow transplant is not possible. Bubble, was conceived as a temporary solution, has become his home. David grew up, and it soon became necessary to equip for him and the whole bladder hospital room.
Water, air, food, clothing - everything was special treatment before you get into the bladder. All manipulations were carried out through the walls of the bladder attached to the plastic gloves. Motors, which supported the bubble inflated, published loud noise that interferes with the normal to talk to David. When he was three years old, was attached to the bladder gaming compartment. But David refused to move to a new "room" of his bladder until psychotherapist Mary Murphy persuaded him not, suggesting a good look goldfish aquarium with which she held in her hands.
Doctors and parents tried to make his life normal. He studied, watched TV. But David wanted himself to be a part of the world, that he saw through the window and on the TV. He once said: "For me decide everything, what should I do. Why should I learn? Why should I read? What's the use? I still can not do anything? So what is all this? »
When David was about three years old, he could spend two or three weeks at his parents' house, where the established bladder. His sister slept with him in the same room. They were friendly, though sometimes fought using gloves. Once David Katrina hit and walked to the far wall of the bladder, where she could not get it. But in the end prevailed Katrina - she threatened to turn off the bubble, and even did it a few times. If the main bubble deflates David could take refuge in a small interior bladder.
He had friends, his classmates came to visit. Once they even arranged for him to view the "Return of the Jedi" in the local movie theater where David was brought to the bladder, which is usually carried home from the hospital.
When David was 4 years old, he found that the bladder can make holes using a syringe accidentally left there. Then the doctors had first races tell him about bacteria and about his illness. By five years David fully realized their difference from others, and understand what the future he will.
Despite the fact that the media created an image of an otherwise healthy boy trapped in a bubble, in the life of the mind of David was unstable due to the lack of human communication and awareness of the hopelessness of their situation. In appearance he was usually stressed polite, but found a way fury. Once he scattered inside the bubble own excrement. In addition, he was very afraid of bacteria. He often had nightmares about the "King of microbes»
In 1974, NASA developed for David suit that would allow him to take a walk outside the bubble. When he was awarded the suit, David refused to wear it in front of the press. Later, when reporters went, fitting all the same place, but David did no more than six steps. Later, he made himself a costume, but wore it only seven times until it became him small. New suit provided NASA, he did not put on never.
Over time, the situation became unbearable. Chances of finding a treatment does not increase. Doctors feared that as a teenager, David will become more aggressive and unpredictable. The US government is going to cut funding for the project, which has already demanded $ 1.3 million but did not bring any tangible results.
In 1983, when David was 12 years old, the same three doctors that originally came up with the whole experiment, suggested his parents to do a bone marrow transplant despite incomplete compatible donor. Find entirely suitable donor did not succeed, and in the past years there has been great progress in operations with incomplete donors.
The operation went well and within a few months after she had strong hopes that David will be able to finally leave the bubble. But then David for the first time in my life ill. At the beginning of diarrhea, fever, vomiting and internal bleeding. As it turned out, the bone marrow Katrina contained traces of sleeping Epstein-Barr virus. Once in the body of David, the virus began to spread rapidly and has created hundreds of cancer. The symptoms were so severe that he had to be extracted from the bladder to treat. When his father asked him directly if he wants to leave the bubble, David replied that he agreed on anything, just to feel better. Outside the bubble of his condition continued to deteriorate, and he fell into a coma. Then his mother for the first time in my life been able to touch his son. He died 15 days later, on 22 February 1984. He was 12 years old.
