A Giant Step Forward

Jackie actually heard it before she saw it.

"He announced his presence in the hall by playing the doorbell chimes," Jackie said.

Whether it was the medication he had been taking or simply sheer will, David began taking a few steps out of the bathroom. He took a camera with him.

A simple walk down the hallway into the family den was a terrifying trip.

"Here's the big thing which is making me really nervous right now and I'm not very happy about it," he said.

What has been the hardest part for his family?

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Waiting is the hard part for David's mother.

What's the incentive for David to leave the bathroom if he's getting food when he wants it, if he has parents that do whatever he wants?

"The incentive (for) David is to get a life. I mean, that's not a very satisfactory life for a fellow who has really, apparently a genius IQ," said Dr. Jenike.

"Even if you have a job that you hate, you still have income from it, and you can still better your life in some way. But there's really no benefit whatsoever to just doing mindless, repetitive, painful cleaning rituals," David said.

"He realizes himself he needs help. He told me the other night, 'I know I can't get better on my own,'" his mother Jackie said.

David's parents believed Dr. Jenike's Boston area institute was just what David needs. But first he would have to leave the bathroom.

In August 1999, almost a year after he first went into the bathroom, David finally agreed to meet the cameras of 48 Hours.

But he had rules.

"Whoever gets to see him has to take a shower and change your clothes afterward," his mother Jackie explained.

David feared that just his opening the door will contaminate others.

He asked people to wait in the bedroom, behind a closed door, while he went out in the hallway to pick up some clothes.

After waiting and negotiating for several hours, David stepped out to meet Correspondent Erin Moriarty and invited her into the bathroom.

"So there you are! How does it feel?" she asked.

"I'm kind of nervous. This is where I live," he said.

"Can I walk in? Do you mind?" she asked.

"No, that's OK," he said.

"So this is actually your home," Moriarty said.

"That's my abode; and also my commode, ha ha," he joked.

"David, it is so great to see you. Honestly, you look wonderful!" Moriarty said.

For a young man wo hadn't been outside a room in almost a year, David did look good.

But after Moriarty spent some time with him, it became obvious how small his world had become.

"Sometimes I worry that the air from the bathroom will go out and contaminate the people outside," he said.

Determined to get used to being around other people, David agreed to move into his family's den for a sit-down interview but only after making sure the door was shut.

"I've got this thing about closing a door," he explained. "I'm afraid I didn't close it all the way somehow."

"I'm still not real comfortable being in this room yet," he said.

"I'm nervous! I'm feeling very, very, very anxious," he admitted.

David knows that his fears are groundless but that doesn't reduce the anxiety.

"Initially, I felt like I had to be in the bathroom to be safe,...to keep from contaminating other things," he said.

"I don't think I'm contaminated," Moriarty replied.

"Well, I define contamination so you don't get to choose," David said. "Contamination is an invention of...a sort of malfunctioning part of my brain. So you don't get to say you're not contaminated."

"When you left me a message on my voice mail saying I'm out in the hallway and I'm nervous, what did that feel like? What were you feeling?" Moriarty asked.

"I felt like I was going throw up," he revealed. "I couldn't stop shaking."

For David, this is a giant leap. "I had this picture of...Neil Armstrong in my head," he said.

"This'll be a big plus for him," said his mother.

But is he ready to go to Boston for more help?