MARY GRACE...Esther and I met her two years ago.
As soon as she sat down and started playing the piano, silence engulfed the hall. A hush of anticipation and awe overwhelmed everyone. After her first piece, the hush of anticipation was replaced by a sudden surge of applause.
It was a night of great inspiration from a young and talented accomplished piano player.
How can someone with an arm and leg disability play a musical instrument much more a piano?
Here she is
Mary Grace, a young artist born with a right arm "stump" and a right leg with three (3) toes and eight (8) inches shorter than the left .
She was born in the Philippines. As a child she was practically
"hidden" from everyone by her family. She was told to stay-put in her room or she had to cover the
"stump" when a guest visited their home. People shunned her, never invited to parties, and had no friends when she started going to school. She often wondered why she was born
"different"and deserved being born with a disability.
She could not do menial jobs, buttoning her dress or taking off a candy wrapper. She was taunted by classmates and a butt of fun. No self confidence or self esteem for a long time.She used to
(and still do) cry herself to sleep, but
"If not for God sustaining me, I would have never made it this far," she opined.
In spite of all these, she graduated in college with a degree in Psychology!
"I took Psychology to learn why people stare at me," she smiled. Today, she could almost do anything like a normal person with two hands.
She believes, God did create
"NO JUNK." God gave her a gift to play piano.
When she was five (5) years old her grandmother found a teacher willing to teach a one-handed student. The first three piano teachers refused but after her grandmother promised to pay the teacher the price of two (2) students, the fourth teacher agreed to teach her.
This is the rest of the story in her own words:
"After I started my piano lessons, I found out that I could play with my 'stump'. Playing the piano became the outlet of my sadness. There are times my back and my 'stump' hurt, but I like to keep on to inspire people through music. It has become my passion!"
Mary Grace had been giving concerts for the past ten (10) years now for
charities and to name a few:
Volunteers For The Rehabilitation Of The Handicap and The Disabled, Inc.,
(click) 1000 Missionary Movement, and at the present time, giving concerts to raise funds for
(click) AaMI (Adopt a Minister International) and the
(click) VOP (Voice of Prophecy).What a great & wonderful example of overcoming a disability with the help of God and a super determination of a young heart like Mary Grace!
We were blessed to be with Grace in our Choosing To Live meeting & testimony. Ben H. Sanidad III sang, "My Redeemer Is Faithful & True," at the close of the service.
For more information you can call this number
225-664-8174.
