Jacob Haendel is now recognized as one of the first individuals globally to recover from a rare condition that left him in a state akin to a coma, where he was unable to move but was completely aware of his environment.
In his 20s, the Massachusetts native faced significant challenges, especially after the loss of his mother to breast cancer when he was only 19. In an attempt to handle his grief, Jacob initially turned to recreational drugs, which eventually led to more severe narcotic use.
By the age of 28, his addiction to heroin nearly proved fatal.
Medical professionals initially thought Jacob had experienced a stroke when they found him in what seemed like a coma at the hospital, suspecting he was brain dead.
However, Jacob was entirely conscious. He was trapped in his own body, unable to move or communicate, similar to being entombed while still alive.
Discussing his harrowing experience on the podcast ‘We’re All Insane’, Jacob shared: “I’m essentially fully paralyzed. I can’t even like turn my head. I’m just there waiting to die, right […] I’m still like the same guy inside.”
He recounted being ‘entirely present’ but unable to ‘signal’ his needs to the hospital staff.
Jacob mentioned that while nurses would speak to him, he was unable to respond.
He recalled, “I’m just like, this sucks. [I’m] trapped in my own body.”
Yet, at one point, the introductions from nurses and medical staff stopped, and he overheard a conversation that filled him with panic.
Jacob explained: “Two nurses come in and they’re like working on me in teams. I have no idea what they’re doing. One nurse just says ‘I gotta tell you about this real awkward hookup I had last night’ to the other nurse.
“In my head, I’m like this is the best thing I’ve heard, I can’t wait to hear this story. I think my pain actually stopped in that moment, waiting in anticipation.”
“And this other nurse, she’s kind of giggling and she’s like, ‘well, maybe we shouldn’t talk in front of the patient’.”
What followed next sent Jacob’s mind into a whirlwind of emotions, akin to a rollercoaster ride.
The nurse replied, “‘Don’t worry, he can’t hear you, he’s braindead’.”
Although he was able to hear, Jacob’s mind was elsewhere, and he never got to hear the rest of the story.
He continued: “I’m like, what?! They think I am braindead? And I start freaking out. I’m like, oh my god, they have no idea I’m here. I’m the same guy. But then I’m like, wait, am I braindead? Is this what happens when you’re about to die? Is this a hallucination? Am I dead?”
Eventually, doctors determined that his brain had been ‘locked out of his body’ due to a suspected toxin he had consumed.
This led to a diagnosis of a rare condition called Toxic Acute Progressive Leukoencephalopathy.
“There are only a few dozen people, since the first report in 1982 of the type of brain injury that Jacob experienced,” Dr. Brian Edlow explained to CBS in 2021.
Jacob’s stepfather recalled that the family was informed at one point that he had ‘a couple of days’ left.
Remarkably, after six months on life support, doctors noticed a slight movement in his wrist, and over the following weeks, he regained his ability to speak.
Edlow added: “To go through all of that, being fully aware and having others not realize it? I can’t even imagine the feeling of isolation, or the sensation of fear that one might experience.”