A passion lies within each and every one of us, especially those of true
intentions to serve others. Whatever that passion may be, it often stems from
the daily struggles and excitement in our lives.
For some of us, our experiences have led us to doorways of understanding
our purpose and reason for the often unexplainable lives of which we all share
and seem to fight day to day to sustain some sense of balance and sanity. For
some of us, a passion may simply be interpreted as a belief or, even an
opinion. However, I refuse to believe passion is based exclusively on such
simplicity. I believe within each and every one of us is a dwelling spirit,
which either opens its eyes and ears to the calling that is bestowed upon it,
or completely chooses to ignore it and, therefore, denies the fact we have all
been blessed with a specific responsibility or purpose in this life.
For me, a specific encounter during my childhood opened a doorway that I
never knew existed until about twenty years later. From this encounter, I later
realized my purpose and duty on this earth. It is a miracle that I am alive,
and those who witnessed my encounter still cannot believe that I am alive or
functioning as a normal person.
It all began one evening before attending school with my fourth grade
class. What seemed to be a typical evening for my family without a doubt became
an immediate, perceptible nightmare. It struck me like a flash of lightning. I
can remember it clearly because I was haunted with a strange feeling; I
immediately knew something was wrong.
The feeling that struck me was one I had never experienced in my life. I began
walking around in circles in my bedroom as I placed both hands on my head. I
repeated over and over that I had a strange feeling. My senses were completely
interrupted, resulting in visions in my mind as if I was dreaming. The more and
more I focused my mind on that dream, the more difficult it became for me to
think, speak, move, or respond. It was as if I had suddenly been struck with
some poison that quickly entered my body and was taking over me. I had no
control, and I could not escape it.
To my seemingly unexpected misfortune, I was experiencing the beginning
of a grand-mal seizure—one where the body rapidly shakes with violent muscle
contractions as the eyes rotate upward toward the head. My mother came to my
rescue, and only God knows how she was able to keep her composure the entire
time. She rolled my body to its side as she attempted to keep me from choking.
I was then quickly transferred out of my bedroom to an ambulance, which carried
me to the local hospital.
The seizure activity continued and would not subside, so my brain was
unable to return to its normal function. The medical personnel who worked on me
placed me in a Phenobarbital coma—one induced by a drug. The coma lasted for
three days, and it was the only means of stopping the seizure activity.
According to the physicians and other medical personnel, all normal
functions and abilities would have to be relearned because of the severity of
the seizure activity and the duration of the coma. For example, I was expected
to have to learn to walk and speak again as if I was a newborn child.
When I woke from the coma, my behavior was completely different from what
I typically exhibited. My mother describes my behavior as being an alter ego,
and she informed the doctors I was not the son she knew.
As I sat in my bed, I appeared to be in a completely different
world—non-sociable with little to no response to anyone who communicated with
me. Although it was not distinctly clear to those who observed me, since I was
somewhat responsive, I appeared to be in a catatonic state, which I could not
escape.
My family recalls my behavior well, especially since I neither spoke nor
recognized my own mother. The doctors asked me questions, but my responses
remained simple and reactive. Basically, my words or responses were given
without thought or meaningful understanding. For the most part, my response was
“OK”. In fact, when one of the doctors stated, “This is your mother”, I simply
responded by saying, “OK”. Indistinctly I had become a child displaying signs
of autism.
The entire duration of my experience at Children’s Hospital was a month,
and my behavior changed drastically as time progressed. No longer was I in a
dream state; I became very hyperactive and overly sensitive to any movement,
sound, or other action around me. Whenever I spoke, I stated things completely
out of the ordinary. I even called some of the nurse’s names while they were
visiting me. My father recalls me swinging my arms around in a very violent
manner without the ability to calm myself—obvious signs of ADHD. The doctors
asked my mother if it was the typical way I behaved, and she told them it was
not.
About a month after I initially woke from the coma, I woke on Christmas
morning without one altercation to my brain. I was an entirely different person
from what I had been during the previous nightmare of my life—myself! I was
completely healed and returned to my normal state of mind! My behavior was then
the way my mother had remembered me, and I immediately began questioning my
mother about where I was and why I was lying there in a hospital. My level of
inquiry was unbelievable as any child’s curiosity would be when waking in a
hospital and not knowing why you are there. It truly was a miracle.
Interestingly, I did not inquire about what had transpired the first time
I woke. I did not even question about why I was lying in a hospital bed with
multiple wires connected to my body. Although, I did inquire about what had
transpired once I woke on Christmas morning, and that morning is one morning I
will never forget!
I can clearly remember screaming, “What happened! What happened?” I was
feeling perfectly normal as I would on any typical day of my life. I did not
feel that I had any illness, so I could not see why I was lying there in a
hospital bed. I was not in pain, coughing, or feeling uncomfortable. The only
discomfort I felt was the frightening shock I received when I woke in a place
to which I could not relate any past events. It was as if I had gone to sleep
one night in my bedroom as any child does on a typical school night and
suddenly waking the next morning in a hospital bed with multiple wires
connected to my body.
I am amazed today how the physicians who were working on my case neither
observed nor recognized the interesting contrast in my presence and absence of
inquiry from the first time I woke and that Christmas morning. Perhaps they
were stunned and in complete shock by the miracle which they observed, knowing
that I was capable of doing things they predicted I would not be able to do.
Nevertheless, the difference in my mental awareness and level of communication
was night and day—I lived the life of an autistic child, and I returned to my
normal state of mind and functioning.
I can actually recall after being awake on that Christmas morning being
aggravated by the number of different doctors who were constantly coming in and
out of my room to ask me questions because they were each in shock that I was
perfectly fine. My mother told me that one of them raised his hands in the air
and said, “It’s out of my hands!” This doctor was definitely in shock and knew
at that moment he had witnessed a miracle. The level of my recovery was
completely unpredicted and unexpected; thus, the doctors informed my mother
that my case would be on the board of discussion for years.
The illness which caused this traumatic experience was encephalitis—the
swelling of the brain. The brain swells for different reasons, and one of them
is a severe illness, which triggers the neuro-immune system. In my case, the
encephalitis was a result of a viral infection, so it was nearly impossible to
identify what medication and treatment to issue for my recovery. This made it
an even more traumatic experience for not only my family, but for those who
diligently worked for the success of my survival.
The only thing they could do was administer every possible treatment or
antibiotic to me, which they hoped would cure my illness, and this is why I had
multiple wires connected to me at one time.
Occasionally, I experience a mild seizure to this day, and each time it
occurs, I am more and more fascinated by the experience I undergo. I can now
say that I am blessed to undergo such a fearful experience each time it occurs
because it has lead me to assist others in ways
I never knew would exist until later in life.
If you have ever worked in a field, studied, or been taught by another,
you can recall a moment when you had a light bulb flash in your mind as you
instantly understood something for the very first time. Something that once was
impossible to understand immediately became as clear as daylight.
This is exactly what occurred to me as I continuously worked day to day
with large groups of children with ADD, ADHD, and autism. I began noticing
behavior patterns, recording the characteristics, and eventually I had that
light bulb experience—a unique connection to my medical encounter and the
behavior of children I observe daily.
It suddenly came to me that the behaviors I was observing in these
children with autism, ADD, ADHD, and related conditions were no different than
what I had exhibited after being attacked with encephalitis. Furthermore, I
discovered a connection to what I experience after a seizure to the behavior
patterns I observe in children with the aforementioned conditions.
The imperceptible epidemic breeding among humanity is now a rapidly
spreading infestation hidden before the blinded eyes of society.
I now feel it is my duty to introduce the character of
autism and ADD. With my most recent literary work, Autism Demystified, I have furthered my journey and experience with
something with which I share a strong passion—assisting caregivers of children
with autism, ADD, ADHD, and related conditions.
From my encounter in the hospital, I have an exceptional
connection to children with these conditions like no other. I can easily
identify cases of autism and related conditions without a second thought. After
all, when you have lived a particular path, you can definitely relate to those
who walk the same road.
So, if you are in need of assistance, have questions in
regards to your child’s behavior, are concerned about your child’s academic
challenges in school, or simply need a report to provide to your child’s
physician, please contact me.
I also seek more opportunities to speak on the topics of
autism and related conditions, and I provide professional consultation and
advice concerning these conditions as well.
Jason M. Hufft.
