Little boy born without eyes stuns parents with his piano playing

Patrick Henry was blind and crippled from the birth but that didn’t stop him from finding his true calling in music and becoming an inspiration that he is today.

Patrick John and Patricia Hughes experienced a big shock when, in 1988, their much-expected child was born without eyesight and the ability to fully straighten his arms and legs.

As young parents, they were devastated because all the dreams and expectations they had been building around their unborn child has just shattered, a video report uploaded to YouTube revealed.

Their child, Patrick Henry, would never see and never be able to walk. The parents’ initial reaction was that of anger 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.

As a one-year-old child, Henry started developing 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 a 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.

With time, Henry’s passion for music only grew and his dexterity on a piano also grew. 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.

Now as a 30 year old man, Henry has written a book titled “I Am Potential: Eight Lessons Living, Loving, and Reaching Your Dreams.”

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