Boy in a plastic bubble. He spent his whole life in it

David Vetter was not one of a kind, although the script of his life was never repeated afterwards. For some, David’s fate is a milestone for science, for others, a cruel medical experiment. What is certain, however, is that today children born with the same disease do not spend their entire lives in a bubble or – occasionally – in a NASA-made suit.

1. David Vetter was born with SCID syndrome, which is a severe combined immunodeficiency disease
2. It’s a genetic disease. His brother died because of her in infancy. David’s fate was supposed to be different. Right after giving birth, it was placed in a special plastic bulb
3. The boy did not come out of it for 12 years, except for a few walks in a space suit
4. Check your health. Just answer these questions
5. More information can be found on the Onet homepage.

Why did David Vetter live in a plastic bubble?

The first child of the Vetter family was a daughter. Katherine was born healthy and developed properly. Later their first son was born. The boy was born with SCID syndrome (severe combined immunodeficiency). This is a condition in which the immune system is not working properly. Even the tiniest infection can be fatal. The only salvation for children with SCID syndrome was bone marrow transplantation. Otherwise, they did not live up to two years.

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David’s older brother, David Joseph, received a transplant from his sister, but before the latter could accept, the boy died. He was only seven months old.

Soon after, the Vetter family were expecting a baby again. Doctors immediately warned parents that if a boy is born, he has 50 percent. chances of inheriting the same disease. Mr. and Mrs. Vetter were offered an abortion, but they chose not to terminate the pregnancy. David was born on September 21, 1971 by caesarean section. The tests confirmed that he suffered from SCID syndrome, after which the boy was placed in a previously prepared polyvinyl chloride chamber. It was a sterile environment, protecting the newborn from all life-threatening microbes.

This plastic bulb was supposed to be only a temporary solution – until a bone marrow transplant was possible. However, it soon turned out that this was out of the question.

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What was life like for a boy in a plastic bubble?

Katherine Vetter was not a well-matched donor for David, and the doctors decided not to have a bone marrow transplant. There was no alternative for that moment. So it was decided that the boy should live in a plastic bulb until another form of treatment was available for him.

Over the years, David grew up in a small sterile environment. He played there and later even studied. The teachers stood behind the plastic wall and passed on knowledge to him. Whenever someone wanted to touch David, they had to do it through one of the gloves placed in the bubble. His parents had no way of hugging him or holding him in their arms.

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The boy’s fate slightly improved when NASA scientists developed a suit that allows him to exit the bubble. David was still shielded from the outside world with a plastic cover, but he could already take steps on the ground or look at the sky. It was also the first time his parents could embrace him. Unfortunately, the whole process of moving from the bubble to the suit was complicated and multi-stage, so there were only a few such «space» walks.

David Vetter’s last moments. The boy comes out of the bubble

Unfortunately, the story of David Vetter does not have a happy ending. When the boy was 12, the doctors decided to transplant his marrow from his sister. This caught on, but not long after David’s condition began to deteriorate. When the boy began to spit blood, the doctors decided to remove him from the cup and start fighting for his life.

It was the first time David could touch his parents other than through rubber gloves. It was also then that they saw the son look without a plastic barrier for the first time in his life. However, this special moment did not last long. It turned out that Katherine’s marrow was infected with the Epstein-Barr virus. For David’s virtually nonexistent immunity, it became lethal – the teenager developed cancer. The boy in the plastic bubble died in 1984.

A breakthrough or a cruel medical experiment?

David’s life story remains controversial to this day. Had the boy missed a plastic bubble, he probably wouldn’t have lived to see his second birthday. On the other hand, his life was far from normal. It is enough to write that his dream was to try Coke. This was out of the question, however, because after the sterilization necessary for the drink to reach the canister, it lost its flavor. And this is just the tip of the mountain of all the shortcomings that David Vetter has faced in his life.

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After some time, the situation began to affect his mental state. Some sources say that he developed symptoms of depression, and at some point doctors began to fear that the boy who was growing up might try to take his own life.

At the same time, there were voices that the case of David is treated by doctors as a kind of medical experiment that allows the boy to be examined like a laboratory mouse.

On the other hand, the possibility of such an in-depth analysis of what is happening with him or taking samples allowed for deepening the knowledge about the SCID team. Today, children born with this condition undergo therapy or receive a transplant. Early detection of the disease is crucial for the effectiveness of treatment. Nowadays, cases like David do not have to have a tragic ending at all.

Also read:

1. «I’ve been living in a pandemic for nine years. Cystic fibrosis is a terrible torment ». Marta’s story
2. The most common genetic diseases. How are they made?
3. I asked: should I be happy or cry? “Rather rejoice in this misfortune”