Starkly contrasted against the backdrop of our culture of death, is a remarkable, unbelievable story–a breath of fresh air.
I saw the movie years ago, and yesterday, we started reading the book May’s Boy again. If you’ve not read it, DO. It is hands-down the most inspiring and miraculous story I’ve ever heard.
May received a call in 1952 about a boy given up for adoption because of his severe defects, and no one would take him. He was already sentenced to death with severe glaucoma, mental retardation and cerebral palsy (later he would be diagnosed with autism as well). The doctors had to remove his eyes and he was given the prognosis of a “vegetable” if he did miraculously survive.
May named him Leslie. She said every child was a gift and deserved someone to love him. She poured her life into him. And what’s more, she never gave up despite virtually no sign of hope for the first seven years. He lay lifeless with only a heart beat for those years.
Once she saw him move, she decided to strap him to her back and drag him around so he could feel her walk. She never thought he actually would learn. He stood for the first time at age fifteen, and soon began walking.
Then one night she woke to hear what she thought was the tv left on with a piano concerto being played. It was Leslie. Not only was he playing concert-level pieces perfectly, but also singing in the most beautiful baritone voice. He had never yet spoken a word, and could barely hold his cup.
May had prayed one simple prayer for Leslie all his life: “Lord, remember to do something for Leslie.” More than what He did for Leslie was what he did for thousands who still see Leslie and know that God is God.
Her amazing love for “the least of these” laughs in the face of “intelligent reasons for abortion”. Every time I hear someone sing a sad song about babies who are better off aborted, I think of Leslie, and others like him.
There was one woman who loved God more than her own life, lost her life to save it, never gave up, and who saw even a lifeless human form as a gift from God.
(BTW, if “defects” were an appropriate gauge of who should live or die, Beethoven would have been aborted, along with a list a half mile long. God doesn’t make mistakes, and His purposes often blow our theories out of the water. We sorely miss the mark when we assert our “reasoning” over the divine sacredness of life. There is never a reason to kill an innocent human.)
Here’s May and Leslie:




