Little boy born without eyes stuns parents with incredible music talent

Blind and crippled from the birth, Patrick Henry defied possibilities by finding his true calling in music despite his disadvantages.

When the boy was born in 1988 without eyesight and the ability to fully straighten his arms and legs, his parents, Patrick John and Patricia Hughes, were in an utter state of shock.

Just like any other parents, they were deeply affected because they felt like all their dreams and expectations, which they had been building around their child, had now shattered, a video report uploaded to YouTube explained.

They knew that their child would never be able to see or to walk. As a religious family, they were also angered because they could not understand what sins they were being punished for.

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However, their outlook on Henry’s conditions made a complete turnaround when he approached his first anniversary.

By the time he finished high school and went to college, he was already a brilliant pianist and trumpet player.

When he was just one year old, Patrick Henry starts to develop a strange understanding of piano music and could play songs which he heard his mother play only once.

“I was ecstatic. We weren’t going to play baseball, but we’re going to play music together,” the proud father exclaimed in the YouTube video.

Henry’s physical limitations were never a concern for his musical prowess. He had a strong understanding of musical notes and playing the piano.

He was already playing songs on request by the time he was 2 years old. He could already play difficult songs including “You Are My Sunshine,” or rhymes such as “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star,” on request.

His passion for music and his exceptional dexterity on the piano also grew with time. By the time he finished high school and went to college, he was already a brilliant pianist and trumpet player.

One of the highlights of his musical achievements came when he was invited by Dr. Greg Byrne, the marching band director of Louisville Marching Band, to join them.

When Henry’s father told him about his request, he could not believe it. The man who could not walk was just invited to be an important part of the marching band.

To make it possible, his father accompanied Henry every step of the way, and while he played in the marching band, his father pushed his wheelchair around.

Today Henry is a 30-year-old man, who is an inspiration for many. He has also written a book titled “I Am Potential: Eight Lessons Living, Loving, and Reaching Your Dreams,” highlighting the encouraging lessons he has learned from life.

One of the most important lessons that he likes to share around whenever he gets the opportunity is that his disabilities are in fact “more abilities.”

Previously, in a 2006 interview with ABC, Henry’s father, Patrick John admitted that when his son was born, they used to ask why such a fate was chosen for them. But they have now started asking the same question in a different light.

He told ABC, “Back then he was born it was, ‘Why us? What did we do that this happened to us?’ And we ask the same question nowadays, but we put it in a whole new light. You know, ‘What did we do to deserve such a special young man, who’s brought us so, so much.’”

Just like Patrick Henry, there are many people who teach us to go beyond our physical limitations. Another such inspiration is Canadian Paralympic Lauren Barwick, who delivered a remarkable horse riding performance while on being on a wheelchair.