The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is a French film that charts the experiences of Jean Dominique-Bauby. He was an editor of the prestigious magazine Elle. However, whilst driving his son for a night out, he has a stroke. He wakes up some 20 days later in a hospital bed. To his horror, he realises that he can see out of only his left eye. The rest of his body is totally unresponsive to him. He will need care for the rest of his life. While total paralysis is not common after a stroke, people who have suffered them require some amount of care. It’s why Gloucester Support Worker Jobs are always in demand.
Bauby is suffering from locked-in syndrome. A terrible condition where the mind is active and fully functioning, but the body has become unresponsive. In Bauby’s case, this was his entire body with the exception of his left eye. He found that he could get it to blink. As soon as this was noticed the staff began to communicate with Bauby.
With the help of a speech therapist, he was able to find a way to communicate. It was painstaking and laborious but the only option given the circumstances. Bauby had been offered a book deal, and he decided to proceed with it. Using a ghostwriter, he began to dictate the novel. It was changed to his experiences and life before becoming locked in. It remains an insightful work. Bauby died after its publication, contracting pneumonia and being unable to fight it.