I know we’re all desensitized to these saccharine, heartstring-pulling Got Talent moments, but I’m making an exception for a girl with no arms who plays the piano with her toes:
In an incredible March 10 episode, Lorelai Mosnegutu brought the judges and audience (and okay, me) to tears when she played the piano with her toes to accompany her own stunning rendition of “A Million Stars.”
But it turns out that Lorelai’s piano-and-vocal talents are only a small sample of what this remarkable 14-year-old has accomplished. Born with no arms, she was immediately abandoned at birth by her mother. A social worker eventually adopted young Lorelai, who didn’t speak until she was 3 and didn’t walk until she was 4.
Now she not only plays the piano and the organ with her toes, but also paints and types. She’s even written several books.
Lorelai isn’t the first child abandoned because of a physical disability who grew up to stun the world. Alexey Romanov was born with no hands and raised in an Russian orphanage until he was adopted at age 12. His adoptive parents encouraged him to begin playing the piano as a way to improve his flexibility, but they got a lot more than they bargained for–Alexey wowed the audience at the Nordic Business Forum, where he was invited to perform in October of last year.
I know there’s a lot of prepackaged heartstring-tuggery going on these days, but sometimes it is inspiring to be reminded of the triumph of the human spirit. I like these two stories particularly because they remind me that the human spirit doesn’t achieve greatness in a vacuum. Both of these children flourished after were adopted by loving parents who helped them find the courage and confidence to overcome their limitations and achieve something remarkable.
So the next time you’re tempted to give up, remember the people who love you and who are rooting for you. They’ll still love you even if you fail, but carrying their love with you might be all the inspiration you need to succeed.
And today we celebrate...