He has been to more than 90 countries and was received by South African President nelson mandela. His speech was magnificent and shocking, and everywhere he went, he set off a sea of tears and an upsurge. He has spoken to enterprises and societies with more than 250,000 people in Australia and more than 65,438+000,000 people around the world.
Recently, this world-class inspirational master came to South China to give an inspirational speech at the invitation of Singapore Chengzhi Group and Guangzhou Ge Rui Culture Communication Co., Ltd., which set off a frenzy. Success magazine followed him for the first time.
He squatted there. Squatting there in a graceful manner. Such as the Sphinx, or the stone statue of the great man's upper body. He, only half. But it's not pathetic, it's magical!
When God cast him, he must have used another mold.
John Coutis, a Greek from Australia, has a childlike expression on his face-frank, naive and pure. If he looks at you, his eyes can burn your central nervous system and make your heart throb. What kind of eyes are those! As bright, warm and sincere as the sun.
He has no legs, not at all. But he is free, smart and powerful. When he skated past us, it was like a drop of water sliding across the ocean.
He doesn't take a wheelchair, he insists on walking with skateboards and hands, so God gave him the most powerful shoulders. It is these powerful shoulders, holding his proud head, that let him come to China from Australia, let him board the podium in one city after another in China, let him come among us, and let him tell us what happened to him in the most inspiring language. ...
Life, life, life!
John Curtis was born with a deformed leg. Medically, it is called congenital sacrum hypoplasia. He has no anus (the doctor had to cut a deep mouth to make him defecate painfully), and his bladder and intestines are abnormal.
Because his legs are completely undeveloped, the new-born little John looks as big as a Coca-Cola can. The doctor didn't expect him to live for 24 hours.
"I'm sorry," the doctor said to little John's father. "It seems that you need to hold a funeral."
However, as a father, after preparing for the funeral with tears in his eyes, he found that his son was still alive. A little life, struggling for another week. The doctor also predicted that the child would not live for a month. But little John lived for a month. The doctor predicted again that the child would not live more than one year. However, little John lived for a year. To this day, this child named John Curtis is still alive.
Little John, growing up day by day. Black eyes and brown curly hair. His favorite thing to do is to put his tiny undeveloped legs under his ass, and then support his big head with his hands and sit there innocently, like a little yogi.
Looking at this special child, his parents are full of pity, smile or sigh. But in any case, they decided to raise him like all normal children and give him human love and good character.
The father with pure Greek blood firmly accepted this imperfect son, and he clearly knew what kind of setbacks and pains his son would encounter in his future life. Spoiling, pampering and over-caring may make a son a veritable weak person. He must give his son a real chance and a start in life.
When he was a child, John was full of fear of many things, especially dogs. When any dog approaches him and wags its tail, his nerves will collapse.
His father decided to change all this. One afternoon, he picked up little John, left him in the backyard with his dog named Candy, and closed the door.
The only thing little John can do is scream, scream, scream. Scared the neighbors near their home and almost called the police. But three hours later, his father began to smile with relief, because little John was riding on the dog's back, waving his fist and walking around the yard.
"If you are afraid, then you should learn to face it!" Father gave little John enough lessons.
Little John never escaped his father's punishment because of his disability. When he set fire to his neighbor's cat; When he cooperated with his brother, he almost burned down his house. ...
His father said to him, "Hold out your hand and don't move." Bang! Pushed down is a punch of blood.
But in any case, little John admitted that his father's punishment was humane. Because he has never been unduly punished.
Stand straight! My father always tells him that. He will never be grateful for it.
And mother, every time he comes home from school, her warm hand will give him a big hug: "I love you, John!" " ""You are the best in my life. "
Childhood is happy. John's brothers and sisters all love him deeply. They play together, laugh together, and support him to do whatever he wants. They treated him like a normal child. But John also admitted that when he was a child, he was jealous of his brothers. He wants to put on their shoes and do what they are doing, although he knows that such a miracle will not happen.
Whenever he feels sorry for himself, he will think of his parents' advice: life is not perfect, but it is not all bad. Taste the fragrance of roses!
You are the best for us.
John Curtis finally reached school age. His father bought him a bigger schoolbag and told him that from now on, he must learn to bear life: the real world is ahead.
One disaster after another began in the first week of entering the primary school gate. John was either chased around the campus by some hooligans or his wheelchair was broken by them (at least 90 times). They broke the brakes on his wheelchair, causing him to lose control and fly directly into the math teacher's office from the school corridor. Those bad guys tied him to the ceiling fan in the classroom and started it. ...
What is even more frightening is that several hooligans once caught him, tied him with a rope, sealed his mouth with tape, then picked him up and threw him directly into the big trash can.
Then, these bastards lit a fire outside the trash can.
John's mouth was sealed with tape and he couldn't move in rolls of waste paper, garbage bags and rotten food. Coupled with smoke and intense heat, he almost suffocated.
He was terrified. Is this death? Don't die like this? He shook his little body in despair and lived sadly.
Until a teacher saw what happened, he rushed over, pulled John out of the trash can and untied him. Then they sat there together and watched the trash can burn out. ...
Later, John entered high school. There are 1700 children in high school, but for John, there are 3400 legs. He walks carefully among countless legs every day, and the only thing he has to do is to protect his hand from being trampled by any of them.
However, he still suffered the deepest injury.
In a slide class, John suddenly wanted to go to the toilet. He raised his hand, hoping that the teacher could see him, but the slide class was too dark and he was too inconspicuous, so the teacher never noticed him.
So he slipped down from the chair quietly and began to walk outside the classroom. However, every step he took in the dark made him feel terrible pain. Why is this happening? When he finally reached out of the dark's room and sat on the floor outside the classroom, he found his hands covered with thumbtacks. Five thumbtacks were deeply stuck in one hand and six thumbtacks were stuck in the other.
John, 12 years old, is extremely uncomfortable. This is his classmate, and this is what his fucking classmate did.
He pulled out the thumbtacks in his hand one by one and struggled to call a taxi home.
He went into the bedroom, closed the door and looked at himself in the mirror and cried!
He remembered the pranks, vicious laughter and his situation. He glanced at himself in the mirror again and said to himself, don't continue!
At that moment, he remembered suicide.
But, how to do it?
When will you do it?
Just as John decided, his ten-year-old brother Luke came in.
"Luke," John whispered, "I can't stand it anymore. I want to end my life tonight. "
His brother didn't speak, but walked slowly to the door.
"Where are you going?" John asked sadly. Luke stood by the door and said, "Maybe I can help you. I'll get you a gun. "
Then his mother came in. Mother sat on the bed and hugged him and looked at him. Mother has been crying, but she said nothing, just looked at him with tears in her eyes. Then, she gave John a particularly affectionate hug that only a mother can give and kissed him on the forehead.
Then she said, "John, you are the best thing that has ever happened to us!" Always! "
After listening to his mother, John cried for a while. It seems that the situation is not too bad, and some people are willing to love him. John gave up suicide and decided to go on living.
Live, live, live happily!
John Curtis finally decided to amputate his two stunted legs.
This painful decision is due to a painful experience.
In an open class of geography exam, John leaned on his elbow and concentrated on answering the questions on his desk. And his deformed leg is stuck up like a tail (no way). If you don't stare at it, you won't notice it even if it is burning, let alone concentrate on the exam.
When he finished the exam, handed in his papers and walked into the sun with his hands behind his back, several girls exclaimed and said to him, "John, look at your legs."
He looked at what happened on his leg in horror and sadness: his leg was cut open by a blade, burned by a lighter and poked by a pin. Two toes were almost cut off.
He stumbled to the school hospital and felt sick all the way. What makes him even more angry is that no one has been punished for this crime! However, John and his family didn't spend too much time on this matter (let those people's conscience bear the consequences for them! )
At this time, he is faced with a difficult decision: that is, he must give up those two poor short legs. They never really come in handy. )
1On July 4th, 987, 17-year-old John Coutis's leg was amputated, and he became a real "semi-"man. Facts have proved that it is wise to perform leg resection in time. Because after the deformed leg was removed, John moved more freely. Moreover, he also avoided possible complications such as ulcers, skin infections and osteomyelitis on deformed legs.
When his hands really become feet, he will know how to move forward in life. ...
After John Curtis left school, he began to look for a job. During this period, he knocked on about/kloc-0.0 million stores and asked if anyone would hire him. He worked in a hardware grocery store and screwed in an instrument box company. He gets up at 4:30 every morning, catches the train to the town, and then rides a skateboard to the factory a few kilometers away from the station.
It can't be said that he had a bad time. After all, he lives bravely and happily alone.
The real change of fate begins with sports.
Let's not forget that this man named John Curtis is of Greek descent, so his whole body is full of the Olympic spirit of competition and hard work. His sportsmanship is innate.
He has been playing indoor cricket since 12 years old. At the same time, he is also an excellent weightlifter and wheelchair rugby player. Less than three days after his leg amputation, he appeared in his club where he played indoor cricket. Although he often knocks other players out of wheelchairs, some people will complain that he hits too hard, but he will also refute some people's lack of professionalism.
When he proudly appeared on the court wearing sunglasses and a blue sports helmet, the children would immediately shout, "Look, a walking helmet!" " "
His personal doctor said: John Curtis's personality has obvious obsessive-compulsive disorder, which is the only way for him to survive. It is this lifestyle that makes his career as an athlete stand out.
From 65438 to 0994, John Curtis became the champion of the Australian Disabled Tennis Championship and was invited to South Africa as a member of the Australian cricket team. He was fortunate to be received by South African President nelson mandela.
In 2000, when John won a scholarship from Australian sports institutions, he retired from competitive sports and trained for the 2000 Paralympic Games in Sydney, and ranked second in the national healthy weightlifting competition. After leaving the stadium, John won the second-class coach certificate of four major sports institutions: cricket, rugby league, football and rugby association.
Look, he's really proud.
However, John Curtis' brand-new life experience began with a public speech.
He was invited to give a short speech at a luncheon hosted by a local community. Throughout the process, he has been cheering himself up and trying to stand taller. As a result, after 15 minutes of speech, he won the most lasting applause.
A lady even ran to him in tears and said, "Thank you very much!"
After the speech, John Curtis sat alone on the rocks on the central coast, looking at the sea, shaking and crying for a while. He sat on the beach and pinched himself, laughing from time to time. Because for the first time in my life, others not only stared at him, but also listened to him and were willing to listen.
His words carry weight, his opinions carry weight and his people carry weight! This is very important to him.
When John really started his public speaking career, he was very aware that his unusual physical characteristics would have an impact on his audience. However, if he can't say anything of value, his speech career will be very short, because performances like Monster Show will never have a lasting box office.
As it turns out, this guy, John Curtis, has no public speaking training, and is born with the demeanor of an orator. He walked around the podium with his hands behind his back, as powerful as a lion! And he understands that a real speech is a true confession of loyalty to the heart and true love from the heart.
No, no, don't give up
The world is full of pain and suffering. Some people are worried, others are crying. And he, John Curtis, clearly realized that people should embrace rather than struggle with the painful fate.
He once saw Matthew, his closest partner, with his own eyes. Because the deformed spine oppressed the atrium and lungs, he never got up after sleeping at night. Before that, they said good night to each other.
The death of a good friend made John Curtis burst into tears. He fell into deep remorse: "I failed to take care of him." God, I am lucky to take care of myself. "
Moreover, he began to think, "My spine is deformed, so is my disability fatal?" He began to feel afraid: "When will I die?"
When he asked his father, "Dad, will I die?"
The father said to his son, "Yes, son. We will all die. "
John Curtis grinned. Father, I will love you to death!
However, a huge disaster is quietly coming towards him. 1999 in the second half, for no reason, John Curtis often goes to the bathroom to vomit when he is on the lecture tour. Sometimes, he is very, very tired. That year, he has become an important figure in Australia. He is doing what he loves. He is engaged and ready to get married.
One night, he felt very uncomfortable in his groin, and his left testicle was swollen, which hurt when he touched it.
When he struggled into the hospital, he was in terrible pain. When the ultrasound report came out, the doctor told him that he had to remove the left testicle because it was dislocated. But a week after the left testicle was removed, the doctor told him with a straight face, "John, you seem to have testicular cancer."
"What?" He was completely shocked. "What did you say? ! "
"I'm afraid your other testicle will also be removed."
His brain went blank 1 min. The only thing he can think of is that he doesn't have a child yet, and he wants a child!
There is no time, not even time to preserve semen. The only thing that can be preserved is to cherish life.
However, when both testicles were removed, the damn doctor came and told him, "Sorry, John, your cancer has spread!" " We estimate that you still have 12 to 24 months to live. "
"What did you tell me?" John asked again.
"24 months." The doctor repeated, "Your life ..."
Hearing this, John Curtis climbed up the guy's desk and knocked everything on it.
"Listen to me," he roared. "Who the fuck gives you the right to tell me when to die? Are you wearing a stethoscope around your neck? Or the glasses on your head? I will wait until I am ready to die, instead of people like you telling me that I must die! "
Then John climbed down from the table and turned out. But the doctor rushed out, caught up with him and gave him a deep hug. The doctor is crying, too Then John heard him say, "You will overcome the disease, as long as you have this mentality!" "
After listening to the doctor, John left crying like a child. On the way home, an idea kept flying in his mind: I'm dying, I'm dying! What should I tell my parents? "
Finally, he got up the courage to tell his parents that he had testicular cancer. Father trembled slightly when he heard the news, but he said quietly, "John, I can't believe it." He said, "first of all, your leg-bang! They're gone. Now it's your testicles.-Bang! They left, too. I'm afraid when I come back next week, you'll only have one head left. "
Hearing this, John grinned and cried. But the important thing is that the father's words, after all, made his son laugh again in the face of death.
Next, it is a whole year of fighting the disease. John has read a lot about cancer. He searched online. He saw everything. He became an expert in cancer information. He asked around to see if anyone could give him some good advice. A recovered leukemia patient called him and said:
"Listen, just do what the doctor says, but don't stop living." He never stopped.
In May 2000, John Curtis finished his treatment and was officially listed as a cancer survivor. When death left, he felt deep peace.
Love, love, endless ...
I always thought his love would be hard and desperate, but he got it. John Curtis got married in 2000. He has a beautiful wife Lynn and her 6-year-old son Clayton.
He got everything, everything. He grinned and smiled happily. Do you know what it's like to laugh until your face hurts? I laughed so hard that I couldn't stop laughing, but I kept laughing, and the more I laughed, the harder I tried. Life finally smiled at this wronged and blamed big boy!
As a reporter, looking at their happy family, my heart is not only full of curiosity. Why does this family love each other so much?
It seems that children's laughter, their happiness and their love are the only things really needed in life. During the interview, John Curtis turned to his wife again and again and said:
I love you! I love you! Or "I love you!"
Joy runs through it, but so does the deepest pain. Perhaps, their love lives in the threat of death all the time, and love becomes more radiant.
I asked John, "How did you love each other? You and your wife. " He grinned again, glanced at his blonde and almost smiled.
"I fell in love with her as soon as she appeared. I fell in love with her by instinct. However, my wife has to struggle to love me. "
They are in love anyway. When John finished answering this question, the three of them held hands tightly together. Nothing is more important to love than love itself. I asked, "The most naive John Curtis. Do you hate living? "
He thought about it and answered me, "Yes. Life hurt me, and I was forced to accept it at first. Indeed, time can heal all wounds, but that is only physical wounds. The injury in my heart may stay in my heart forever. "
Injury exists, and the only medicine that can cure mental trauma is love.
John Curtis loves his son Clayton very much. He said, "My son will be king in the future!" "
And his tutor has only one word: love!
"Also, always have the best expectation for life!" Clayton, the son sitting next to him, suddenly added quietly.
We all laughed, and Clayton flushed with excitement.
Suddenly, John Curtis said loudly to his son, "Clayton, tell everyone what your disability is?"
Clayton told us word for word: "I suffer from autism, muscular dystrophy, cerebral intimal injury and myocardial dysfunction."
At this time, I noticed that every time the child said a word, his hands and legs twitched involuntarily. Looking at this boy with beautiful petals, my heart suddenly hurts. Is this the truth of life?
John continued to say calmly and forcefully, "Just because you can't see with your eyes doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Each of us has our own disability. Please think about it, where is your disability? "
He said: "It was the attitude of accepting disability that opened the door to my life and made me such a person. It is this attitude towards life that makes my wife love me and make me the father of my son. One must have enough courage to face and try. Winning is winning, and losing is losing. Anyway, it's better this way You will accomplish nothing sitting at home! Even if my speech can change a person's attitude and eliminate a person's sense of powerlessness, then I will have a good day. "
This man, this "half-man", this man who walks with both hands, sits there proudly and tells us with his life: what is a miracle!
When he finished all this, he immediately turned to his wife and son and said, I love you!
What should we do?