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After placing second in a major swimming competition, he is involved in an accident that leaves him paralyzed from the waist down and in need of using a wheelchair. It is later revealed that Jerome's accident was in fact a suicide attempt because of his failure to achieve perfection and being the best.

A valid is a person who is one of the genetic elite and has genes that are good enough. to work in a space agency like GATTACA.

Vincent: The Invalid in Gattaca The story of Gattaca follows Vincent, an “invalid” working as a janitor at the Gattaca Aerospace Corporation. At birth, his genetic code made him highly likely to be subject to many disorders, and he has an expected lifespan of only 30.2 years.

Q: In Gattaca, what happens to people who are termed “invalids”? In Gattaca, people who are born with a natural mix of genes rather than being genetically modified are called “invalids”. They are condemned to menial jobs.

Vincent Freeman was conceived naturally, and his genetic profile indicates a high probability of several disorders and an estimated lifespan of 30.2 years.

A week before Vincent is to leave on the one-year mission, one of Gattaca's managing directors is found bludgeoned to death in his office. Police discover evidence of Vincent's own "invalid" DNA (his eyelash), making him the prime suspect.

"Invalid" means a person that is a 'faith birth' or vitro birth, and thus has not been genetic engineered. It is often someone who is not registered within the company or someone with apparent genetic defect(such as bad eyesight). Vincent, for example, is invalid.

He reveals that he has stored enough genetic samples to last Vincent two lifetimes. Overwhelmed and grateful, Vincent thanks Jerome for "lending" him the identity that has allowed his success at Gattaca. Jerome replies, however, that it is he who should be grateful, since Vincent lent Jerome his dreams.