I like when his dad says, “If he can ride a bike, let him ride a bike.”
I also like how the doctor and his Mom says that “there is nothing impossible for him.” She has not enabled him nor allowed “the loss of his eyes to overshadow their lives.”
He walks and travels by using sound. Wow! What an amazing person. So much of the attitude of people like he or John Foppe comes from parents. Pity makes victims, expectation of success makes victors.
I applaud him and his mother and know that many times these stories don't have positive stories like this. And yet, it is worth celebrating him!
She says,
“I didn't ever want him to let him see me feel sorry for him, because I didn't want him to feel sorry for himself.”
With me and my own children who have learning disabilities. I will remember this woman. She has become a heroine of mine!
tag: inspiration, motivation, blind, blindness
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
Never miss an episode
Get the 10-minute Teacher Show delivered to your inbox.
4 comments
This is awesome.
I have seen a bit of his story before (on Oprah, I think) but it’s still inspiring! What an obviously bright young man and a great role model for learning a new way of doing things. Connecting to edu content — I think of the teachers that I’ve heard who say the “can’t” do technology. If Ben can learn how to see with his ears — all educators can learn how to incorporate technology into the classroom!
An inspiring story!
It was on telly here in the UK as part of a series about extraordinary people, but I didn’t get to watch it at the time. Glad to have been given another shot at it!
As Amy says, it’s time we moved away from “can’t do” to “can do”
I am inspired to keep trying (in a far lesser way than Ben’s remarkable mother) to give my son the confidence to act on his excellent instincts and insights into people’s characters, even though he lacks confidence in speaking to people. He will often share his insights after an encounter and I think, “Wow!” But at the time he will either seem sullen and withdrawn, because he is too shy to engage, or he will act the clown to cover up his awkwardness. If he could just learn to act on his insight, I think he could really touch people’s lives.
I am going to show him this video clip tonight!
Vicki you have got to read The Brain that Changes Itselfby Norman Doidge! Ben has a mom who never feels sorry or makes allowances. How lucky he is! I battle that all the time and find it very difficult to allow others to be sorry or to make allowances for me. I attended a retirement party for a colleague at my former school. Those are wonderful people who express pity to me and do not believe what I do for a living. I recognise that pity and pray Ben never feels it from those he knows, for he surely does from those who don’t know…..I pray I never have to lose my eyes!
Comments are closed.