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On November 5th, 1999, 16 year-old Erik Ramsey and a friend went to see the new movie "The Sixth Sense." On the way home, a minivan tried to make a U-turn from the oncoming lane that Erik was on. Erik's friend driving the car was speeding, and they never saw the other car's headlights. Suddenly, the two cars collided, sending the minivan's engine flying out of its chassis. The car Erik and his friend were in, a late model-Camaro, smashed into the curb and flipped over landing upside down on a smal grove of pine trees. Erik's friend escaped with a chunk of metal in his skull. Firefighters stuggled to remove erik from the car.

Erik was taken to the hospital. He was severely injured in many places. He was in the hospital for days. Doctors claimed at first that he was parallized, but after many tests, the doctors found a blood clot in Erik's brain. He was diagnosted with a rare desised called "Locked-in Syndrome."

Dr.Philip Kennedy immediatley came into the picture. He worked in the field of brain-computer interference reasearch. He helped Erik by asking him questions (for he could still hear) that made him think. While being questionned Kennedy set up a monitor connected to his brain. When Erik would think something, it would be heard over a loud speaker.

Erik learned to use this and since he was able to move his eyes up and down, he was able to communicate somewhat that was as well. Eyes up for "yes," eyes down for "no."

Erik's father Eddie majorly contributed to help Erik. He even had their home remodeled so it would fit his Erik's life style. Everyday, Eddie had to do multiple things to help Erik, for example: certain exercises to make Erik's muscles not tense up.

Erik also started to use a letter chart. The doctors found he had a little use of his hand, so they used a letter chart of the computer to help he communicate by spelling out small words.

Unfortuantely, in 2004, Erik came down with a case of pneumonia that sent his back to hospital. When he finally recovered, he somehow had changed. He became much slower than before and he was unable to use the letter chart. He was going to have re-learn how to use it.

Erik eventually found ways to communicate with his family again. Through his eyes mostly. It must have been really hard for Erik's family and friends to have to communicate with his like this. I would never want to have to go through something so heart-breaking. In the end, Erik still in incapable to do anything on his own. Maybe one day, but for now, he just as to wait.