Oh, my goodness....what a message.

That is so touching. I think the reaction of the audience to him warmed my heart more than his courage and faith.

When we were kids we lived down the street from a place that was once called The Home For Incurables. It was later renamed Kings Daughters and Sons. My brother and I used to go there to visit the people who resided there. When I was 14 I quit going there, but my brother continued to do so. There was a young man there that had the very same disabilities as that man in the video. His name was Mike. He and my brother became very close friends. This was 1961. Mike had a motorized wheel chair. We thought his family must have been rich for being able to buy that for him. My brother, Pat, spent a lot of time with Mike. When the home took residents on outings they let Pat go along with Mike. Pat spent time with Mike and encouraged him to do so many things. Mike actually learned how to throw a pocket knife with his mouth to where it would stand up in the dirt. They played games of Mumbly Peg together. Mike had a contraption made to where he could bowl. I can't remember exactly what it was, but the ball was put on a platform for Mike then he had a rod of some sort in his mouth to push the ball. Mike and Pat stayed in touch over the years that Pat was in Germany and Viet Nam. When Pat returned home from the war he and Mike were reunited. Pat had a vehicle then and could take Mike places himself. He sometimes brought Mike to my house to spend the night. For supper and breakfast Pat would feed a bite to Mike then he would take a bite of his own meal. They had so much fun together. They were regular guys ribbing each other and playing pranks on each other all the time. Pat played a guitar and Mike sang along with him. Mike died when he was 26 years old. He lived longer than was expected and under the circumstances had fairly happy life.
I didn't intend to hijack this thread and I apologize, but Mike instantly came to my mind when I saw the video. I wanted to share his amazing life with you too.
Since I have already hijacked it I want to add one more thing. :) My brother married a young lady who had been at that place since she was 7 years old due to suffering from polio.
Linda

Linda, what a wonderful story! I haven't watched the video yet, but I wanted to say how good it was of you and your brother to visit that place, and what a marvelous friendship you describe between Mike and Pat. (And thank heavens they changed the name of that place. . . can you imagine knowing you would live your life in The Home For Incurables?)

It's clear that Pat added immeasurably to Mike's life. And certainly to that of the woman he married. :-)

Thank you for sharing this. I know I'll think about it again and again.