Pity is not a compliment. Instead of feeling pity for someone, it’s better to show patience, to show support, and to care. The people in this article are incredibly inspirational examples of strength and perseverance. Their stories will surely inspire you to be the best you can be.
We at Bright Side made a compilation for all those who have ever doubted their abilities. At the end of the article, there is a bonus waiting for you. It will prove that there are no boundaries for those who really want something.
John Bramblitt has never seen his own paintings.
At the age of 30, John lost his eyesight due to the complications of epilepsy. Having overcome depression and anxiety, he found salvation in art. And now Bramblittis one of the most famous modern American painters.
The sense of touch replaced the artist’s vision and he developed a special technique for creating paintings. He makes a sketch with matte paint, leaving a tangible mark on the canvas, and then he finds the required area on the protruding contours and fills it with paint.
And now it’s time for the most astonishing thing — John chooses paints and creates shades through the use of touch as well. Oil paints differ in structure: some are more viscous and dense, while others are more watery. To get the right color, the artist simply mixes the colors to get the desired consistency.
Hugh Herr went from being a climber to a prosthetist.
When Hugh was 8 years old, he climbed his first summit, the Temp mountain with a height of 11,627 ft. The boy showed great hopes and was considered one of the most promising climbers. But at the age of 17, a terrible tragedy happened. Due to a severe blizzard, Hugh and his friend got stuck in the icy mountains and they weren’t able to get out for 3 days. During this time, they got severe frostbite. Our hero had to get both of his legs amputated.
After the operation, Hugh promised himself that he would definitely return to the mountains. That’s how his career in prosthetics started. At first, he created prostheses for himself from improvised materials but they were inconvenient. Then he decided to choose the path of science and he graduated from 3 universities, the last of which was Harvard, where Hugh Herr graduated with a PhD in biophysics.
Today, Hugh Herr is the head of a research group in the laboratory MIT Media Lab where he develops bionic leg prostheses. The scientist believes that a person cannot be imperfect, it’s only our technologies that are imperfect.
Nyle DiMarco has been living in complete silence since childhood.
It’s hard to believe that this charismatic and handsome man has some health problems but there’s a reason why he’s on our list. Several generations of the DiMarco family had hearing problems, and Nyle did not bypass this fate — he was born deaf.
Nyle cannot hear, even with the help of a hearing aid. But he reads lips perfectly and considers his native language to be ASL — American Sign Language.
If we speak in brief about the achievements of DiMarco — he is a model, an actor, as well as the winner of one of the seasons of the show American Top Model and Dancing with the Stars. Nyle dedicates all of his victories to the 70 million deaf people on the planet, thanking them for inspiring him to be the best he can be.
JC Sheitan Tenet has a tattoo machine instead of an arm.
Tenet lost his right arm as a child, but even then he knew that this would not prevent him from becoming a brilliant tattoo master. It was hard for him to find an artist willing to teach him because of his disability. But where there is a will, there is a way.
Once Tenet became a left-handed tattoo master, he met an engineer named Jean Lui Gonzal, who created a unique prosthesis with a nozzle for tattooing, specifically for his new friend. Originally, it was planned as an exhibition item, a kinetic sculpture in the steampunk style, but Gonzal decided to make it functional for Tenet.
The prosthesis turned out to be lightweight and is controlled from the shoulder. But the engineer does not want to stop here — Gonzal hopes to improve his creation making it more mobile in the wrist area so that Tenet feels more comfortable during his work.
Gordey Trishenkov has limited abilities but an unlimited love for photography.
Gordey is disabled from birth, he has prostheses on both legs, has no left arm up to the elbow, and has no right hand. But this didn’t prevent him from graduating from college, getting married, and earning a living from his hobby.
Gordey learned almost all of his professional skills with the help of the internet. He does not consider himself to be inferior and his experience proves that anything can be achieved as long as one has enough desire and perseverance.
Tony Melendez plays the guitar without arms.
The composer, singer, and songwriter, Tony Melendez, has been dreaming of playing the guitar his whole life, and the absence of arms from birth did not become an obstacle to fulfilling his wish.
He learned to play the instrument with the help of his feet and soon became popular all over the world. Since the ’80’s, Tony has been giving concerts, and he also wrote a book and is a motivational speaker, as well.
Viktoria Modesta is a bionic singer.
Due to a trauma from birth, Viktoria was unable to use one of her legs. Up until she was 20 years old, she tried everything and anything in hopes that it would improve. At one point, the girl begged the doctors to amputate her leg because she began to see new opportunities in the loss of a limb as opposed to the limited opportunities with a nonfunctioning limb.
Once she got rid of the leg that was holding her back, she became inspired to take on new challenges. Viktoria started modeling and became successful in the music industry, as well.
Her video “Prototype” has been watched by 8.5 million people and her portrait, painted by James Stroud, became a decoration in the National Portrait Gallery in London.
Bonus: this man made a prosthesis from an old Lego helicopter.
These inspiring men and women are examples of motivation, dedication, and strength. Whose story did you find the most inspiring? Please let us know in the comments!
