We Talk Locked-In Syndrome

We talk Locked-In Syndrome with Jake Haendel. 

Jake Haendel, the “miracle man,” is the only documented person to survive stage four Acute Toxic Progressive Leukoencephalopathy, a rare brain disease that left him locked in. While he couldn’t move, speak, or breathe on his own, Jake remained fully aware and retained all feeling in his body. His covert consciousness and eventual recovery have fascinated Boston’s top medical doctors, who continue to study his case to better understand this disease and others like it.

For the last four years, Jake has dedicated himself to his recovery while prioritizing helping others along the way. When he finally moved out of the hospital in 2020, he was met with a series of accessibility challenges. He quickly realized that “accessible” doesn’t always mean truly accessible. Thinking back to the many patients he met during his years in the hospital, he saw an opportunity to improve the lives of millions navigating similar obstacles.

Jake is the co-creator of Blink: The Jake Haendel Story and the inspiration behind Ahoi, a startup dedicated to making the world more accessible. Ahoi’s app helps users find locations that best fit their accessibility needs—whatever they may be.

Follow Jake at @miraclman31 and @blinkthepodcast on Instagram, Youtube, and TikTok

Show transcript bit.ly/3UKUymI