May's Miracle
Produced by Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
- "'May's Miracle' is one of the finest documentaries I've ever seen... It presents parents who never give up and thus bring their child to a fuller life." - Rehabfilm Newsletter
- "... captures the enrapturing joy he brings his parents, and savors the vitalizing love and devotion that enfolds the family." - Booklist (starred review)
The
baby was blind, severely retarded and had cerebral palsy when May adopted
him and patiently cared for him. At 16, he could not feed himself, stand
alone or speak, yet she never gave up hope. Then the unexplained happened.
One day she found him at the piano, picking out familiar tunes. It was
thus that his rare musical talent was discovered.
The medical term for Leslie's condition is "idiot-savant." Somewhere in his brain exists a spark of brilliance for musical structures and for rhythm and tone. He plays the piano with vigorous emotion and imitates singers from the past with uncanny clarity.
May feels that what happened was a miracle, in answer to her prayers. There is much that remains unexplained in Leslie's remarkable achievement. But certainly May's steadfast mothering contributed to the development of his unusual potential.
28 min. Video or DVD. Sale $295. Video rental $55.
