today's inspiration: May Lemke

Leslie Lemke didn't have a great start in life. He was born with severe birth defects that required doctors to remove his eyes. He had cerebral palsy and was mentally retarded. His own mother gave him up for adoption, and a nurse named May Lemke (who at the time was 52 and raising 5 children of her own) adopted him when he was six months old.

As a young child, May force-fed Leslie to teach him how to swallow. He could not stand until he was 12. At 15 he walked for the first time , May would strap his body to hers in the hopes that he would eventually mimic the movements. She also put his hands on hers as she played simple tunes on the piano, and she would sing to him

At 16 years of age May woke to find Leslie playing Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1. Leslie, who had no classical music training, was playing the piece flawlessly after hearing it just once earlier on the television.

Leslie's achievments are remarkable, and his abilities speak to how little we understand about the human brain...but it's May's achievments that are most inspiring to me, and her abilities show the true power of the human heart. Plus she was about the cutest thing ever (she died in 1993 of Alzheimers).

We need more Mays.