Inspiring Stories That Made it to the Big Screen

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is a memoir by journalist Jean-Dominique Bauby. The film, like the book, describes what his life is like after suffering a massive stroke that left him with locked-in syndrome. It also details what his life was like before the stroke.

Bauby suffered a stroke and lapsed into a coma. He awoke 20 days later, mentally aware of his surroundings, but physically paralyzed with what is known as locked-in syndrome, with the only exception of some movement in his head and eyes. His right eye had to be sewn up due to an irrigation problem. The entire book was written by Bauby blinking his left eyelid, which took ten months - four hours a day.

The film, like the book, also chronicles everyday events for a person with locked-in syndrome. These events include playing at the beach with his family, getting a bath, and meeting visitors in the hospital.