In a Blink

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Welcome to Aaron Menke's Cabinet of Curiosities, a production of iHeartRadio and Grim and Mild.

Our world is full of the unexplainable.

And if history is an open book, all of these amazing tales are right there on display, just waiting for us to explore.

Welcome to the Cabinet of Curiosities.

Ireland suffered under English rule longer than any other colony.

In fact, the English occupied Ireland for over 700 years.

It's a testament to Ireland's strength and the vibrancy of their culture that it endured despite this.

The Irish fought for their independence throughout the centuries, but sometimes the fight took a curious turn.

Such was the case in 1866, when the battle for Ireland's independence spread to a whole different continent.

Like a lot of pioneers, John O'Neill was very sure of himself and didn't like being told what to do.

He fought on the side of the Union during the Civil War, but transferred battalions when he wasn't promoted and then retired before the war was even over.

He learned how to fight and how to run an army during his time in the service, but the cause was never really his.

He was an Irish immigrant who had left home during the famine and was just trying to find his place in the world.

But it seemed that everywhere he went, there was always some king or president trying to get you to join his army.

John had been happy to lend his services to the Union for a price, but he would never work for the English king, who he saw as responsible for the destruction of his homeland.

After John left the army, he was working in Tennessee when he met some fellow Irish immigrants who had formed a militia called the Fenian Brotherhood.

Their goal was to further the cause of Irish independence in America by attacking British-controlled Canada to the north.

They hoped to occupy the country and hold it ransom for Ireland's freedom.

It was a far-fetched idea, but they were angry men who knew how to fight and they weren't exactly in a position to help while they were on the other side of the ocean.

They felt that this was the only option that was left to them.

John traveled with the militia to Buffalo, New York, where they prepared to cross the Niagara River into Canada.

They numbered over a thousand men, but that was hardly enough to take a whole country.

But again, John and his like were stubborn.

This became even more evident when the man who was supposed to lead them into battle didn't show up.

Rather than give up the fight, the Afenians selected John as their new leader.

He had battle experience, after all, and a strong enough presence to inspire the men.

Soon, they were on their way across the river.

The Canadians never knew what hit them, and the militia easily captured the Canadian town called Fort Erie.

The Fenians blockaded the town from the rest of the world and sent out a letter to the civilians claiming that they meant them no harm, they only wished to drive the British from the area.

By this point, the British were mustering thousands of troops across Canada to defend their country.

But the Fenians weren't deterred.

They left Fort Erie behind and continued their conquest west to a village called Ridgway.

As they arrived, they heard the bugles of the approaching Canadian army and formed a defensive line.

John sent out riflemen to attack the marching Canadians and draw them toward the Fenian army.

Soon, he was watching from the rear as hundreds of Canadian soldiers weave their way toward his men through various trees and the small buildings of a farm caught between the two armies.

And here's the thing, John's men were disciplined from their time in the Civil War.

They kept formation and maintained regular gunfire against the enemy, picking off a few here and there, keeping them from advancing quickly.

Wanting more intelligence, John ordered scouts on horseback to travel out and report back as to the size of the army.

But this strategy had unintended consequences as well.

When the inexperienced Canadian soldiers saw the few approaching horse scouts, they mistook them for a cavalry charge.

They tried to change their formation, clumping into a tight square, but this only made them more vulnerable to gunfire.

By the time their comrades realized the mistake and tried to get them back into a line, morale was dropping and some of the men started to flee.

Soon, the entire Canadian army was running up the road, back the way they had come.

The Fenians rejoiced, picking off a few more Canadians as they fled down the road.

But John had seen the size of the army and he knew that he couldn't keep this up.

They retreated back to Fort Erie and, after a skirmish near the river, successfully retreated back into the U.S.

John would lead several more raids on Canada over the next few months before the Americans finally made him stop in order to preserve peace with England.

It was a major victory for the Irish who had shown the world what they were capable of.

But curiously, in the long run, it marked a greater turning point for the Canadians who took the attacks as a wake-up call that their defenses needed updating.

It was one of the many factors that actually led to the Canadian Confederation the following year, which saw several Canadian provinces that were still technically separate British colonies unite into the large, strong country that we know today.

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Life can change in the blink of an eye.

It's a cliché because it's true, as a Frenchman named Jean-Dominique Bobi learned all too well.

In the mid-1990s, Jean was at the top of his game.

He was the editor-in-chief of a major fashion magazine and a charismatic figure in Parisian high society.

He attended glamorous parties, drove fast cars, and moved through the world with charm, wit, and style.

He was 43 years old and seemingly invincible.

And then, on December 8th of 1995, everything changed.

That day, Jean was driving his son to the theater when something inside him snapped.

His vision blurred and he broke out in a cold sweat.

The world seemed to slow to a crawl like time itself was freezing.

Jean didn't know it yet, but he was experiencing a massive stroke.

while behind the wheel with his child in the passenger seat.

Somehow though, he managed to stay calm and pull the car over.

He was rushed to the hospital, but by the time he arrived, things had gone from bad to worse.

He couldn't speak or move, and then he slipped into a coma.

When he woke up 20 days later, the nightmare had only just begun.

Jean was alive, but completely paralyzed.

He couldn't move, eat, or even swallow on his own.

Most terrifying of all, he couldn't speak, which meant that he had no way to show that he was still mentally present.

His doctors thought that he was in a vegetative state until a friend noticed that Jean's left eyelid was twitching.

They called out to Jean and told him to blink if he understood.

And Jean blinked in response.

That showed everyone that he was actually still there, completely conscious, fully aware, but trapped in his own body.

He was diagnosed with locked-in syndrome, a rare neurological disorder where the entire body is paralyzed except for some small eye movement.

But Jean wasn't done fighting.

Using only his left eye, he developed a communication system with his speech therapist.

As they recited each letter of the alphabet, Jean would blink at the right moment to select the letter that he wanted.

And letter by letter, word by word, he painstakingly spelled out messages to nurses, doctors, and family.

It was slow and it was exhausting, but it worked.

Using this new system, Jean was able to describe what it felt like to be trapped inside his own body.

And more than that, it gave him a piece of his life back.

He could talk with friends, connect with his caregivers, and share moments with his family.

Instead of just watching life happen around him, he was part of it again.

His daughter would perch on the armrest of his wheelchair, pretending that they were racing in one of the fast cars that he used to love.

In those moments, Jean found joy, even if only for a few seconds at a time.

And then, just a little over a year later, Jean came down with pneumonia.

His weakened body struggled to fight the infection, and he died on March 9th of 1997, at the age of of 44.

But that wasn't the end of his story.

Just two days later, a book was published telling the story of Jean's struggle.

It was called The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, and thanks to how much Jean had been able to communicate, it offered a rare glimpse into the experience of being trapped inside your own body.

The book became an international bestseller, and a decade later it was adapted into a critically acclaimed film that earned four Oscar nominations.

Doctors, therapists, and researchers still cite it as a landmark work in understanding patients with severe paralysis.

But here's the most impressive part.

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is a memoir, meaning that Jean-Dominique Bobi wrote it himself.

Using nothing but his left eyelid, he dictated the entire 130-page manuscript by blinking one letter at a time to an interpreter.

The process took 200,000 blinks over the course of 10 months.

Jean and his interpreter worked together for a few hours each day, and he spent the rest of his time composing passages in his head, editing and memorizing every word so that he could get it all out in the morning.

It was a feat of mental endurance, patience, and willpower, and it let him tell his story.

So, yes, it's true that life can fall apart in the blink of an eye.

But as Jean proved, life can also be rebuilt.

One blink at a time.

I hope you've enjoyed today's guided tour of the Cabinet of Curiosities.

Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts or learn more about the show by visiting CuriositiesPodcast.com.

This show was created by me, Aaron Mankey, in partnership with How Stuff Works.

I make another award-winning show called Lore, which is a podcast, book series, and television show.

And you can learn all about it over at theworldoflore.com.

And until next time, stay curious.

This show is sponsored by American Public University.

American Public University is the number one provider of education to our military and veterans in the country.

They offer something truly unique, special rates and grants for the entire family, making education affordable not just for those who serve, but also for their loved ones.

If you have a military or veteran family member and are looking for affordable, high-quality education, APU is the place for you.

Visit apu.apus.edu/slash military to learn learn more.

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