David Phillip Vetter was born on 21st September 1971.He was also famously known as "David the bubble boy" by the news media. He suffered with Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID), a disorder that causes the immune system to not work properly. Because of this, exposure to any germs could prove fatal. So, he always had to be kept in sterile environment. Thus, he was always in a plastic like a cocoon which was germ free. He succumbed to cancer which he had contracted during his transplant. He died at the age of 12 in 1984.
His chamber was always maintained sterile. Essential commodities like water, air, food, diapers, and clothes were sterilized before entering the sterile chamber. After those things have been sterilized as well, David touched them only through special plastic gloves attached to the walls of the chamber. The chamber was kept inflated by air compressors that were very loud, making communications with the boy very difficult. His parents and medical team sought to provide him as normal a life as possible like education, playroom for him.
An additional sterile chamber was built at his home in Conroe, Texas. Also a transport chamber was also specially designed so that David could spend two-to-three week periods at home. David had his sister and friends for company while at home.
NASA in the year 1977 made an effort towards helping David Vetter out by fabricating a space suit that would allow Vetter to interact with the world better. Initially David found it difficult to adjust to the suit but in due course of time he was comfortable in it.
David underwent a transplant with an unmatched bone marrow. The operation for transplant was a success but David soon became severely ill. He was diagnosed with Burkitt’s lymphoma caused by Epstein Barr virus. It was in the autopsy that it was revealed that the donor marrow contained traces of the virus which were dormant which spread rapidly in Vetter’s immunodeficient body. He died on 22nd February 1984.
The
above video is of the ‘Bubble Boy’ , David Vetter.
Video Courtesy- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuVnqa_n2_Y
References
