A Man without a Face
Posted: Sun Feb 29, 2004 12:43 pm
Wow! I got chills reading this:
Here is a true story by Paul Harvey. Pass it to anyone who you think would
find it interesting and inspiring. You will be surprised who this young man
turned out to be. (Do not look at the bottom if this letter until you have read
it fully.)
**********************************************************************
Years ago a hardworking man took his family from New York State to Australia
to take advantage of a work opportunity there. Part of this man's family was
a handsome young son who had aspirations of joining the circus as a trapeze
artist or an actor. This young fellow, biding his time until a circus job or
even one as a stagehand came along, worked at the local shipyards which
bordered onthe worst section of town.
>
Walking home from work one evening this young man was attacked by five thugs
who wanted to rob him. Instead of just giving up his money the young fellow
resisted. However they bested him easily and proceeded to beat him to a pulp.
They mashed his face with their boots, and kicked and beat his body brutally
with clubs, leaving him for dead.
When the police happened to find him lying in the road they assumed he was
dead and called for the Morgue Wagon. On the way to the morgue a policeman
heard him gasp for air, and they immediately took him to the emergency unit at
the hospital. When he was placed on a gurney a nurse remarked to her horror,
that his young man no longer had a face. Each eye socket was smashed, his
skull, legs, and arms fractured, his nose literally hanging from his face, all
is teeth were gone, and his jaw was almost completely torn from his skull.
> Although his life was spared he spent over a year in the hospital. When he
finally left his body may have healed, but his face was disgusting to look at.
He was no longer the handsome youth that everyone admired. When the young
man started to look for work again he was turned down by everyone just on
account of the way he looked. One potential employer suggested to him that he
join the freak show at the circus as" The Man Who Had No Face". And he did
this for a while. He was still rejected by everyone and no one wanted to be
seen in his company. He had thoughts of suicide. This went on for five years.
>
One day he passed a church and sought some solace there. Entering the church
he encountered a priest who had seen him sobbing while kneeling in a pew.
The priest took pity on him and took him to the rectory where they talked at
length. The priest was impressed with him to such a degree that he said that he
! would do everything possible for him that could be done to restore his
dignity and life, if the young man would promise to be the best Christian he
could be,
and trust in God's mercy to free him from his torturous life.
The young man went to Mass and communion every day, and after thanking
God
for saving his life, asked God to only give him peace of mind and the
grace to be the best man he could ever be in His eyes.
The priest, through his personal contacts was able to secure the services
of the best plastic surgeon in Australia. There would be no cost to the
young man, as the doctor was the priest's best friend. The doctor too was so
impressed by the young man, whose outlook now on life, even though he had
experienced the worst was filled with good humor and love.
The surgery was a miraculous success. All the best dental work was also
done
> for him. The young man became everything he promised! God he would be. He
was
> also blessed with a wonderful, beautiful wife, and many children, and
success
> in an industr y which would have been the furthest thing from his mind as
a
> career if not for the goodness of God and the love of the people who
cared for
> him. This he acknowledges publicly.
>
> The young man was and is Mel Gibson.
>
> His life was the inspiration for his production of the movie "The Man
Without
> A Face." He is to be admired by all of us as a God fearing man, a
political
> conservative, and an example to all as a true man of courage. And to
think I
> admired him before I knew any of this! He is quite a man!
>
> Paul Harvey
Here is a true story by Paul Harvey. Pass it to anyone who you think would
find it interesting and inspiring. You will be surprised who this young man
turned out to be. (Do not look at the bottom if this letter until you have read
it fully.)
**********************************************************************
Years ago a hardworking man took his family from New York State to Australia
to take advantage of a work opportunity there. Part of this man's family was
a handsome young son who had aspirations of joining the circus as a trapeze
artist or an actor. This young fellow, biding his time until a circus job or
even one as a stagehand came along, worked at the local shipyards which
bordered onthe worst section of town.
>
Walking home from work one evening this young man was attacked by five thugs
who wanted to rob him. Instead of just giving up his money the young fellow
resisted. However they bested him easily and proceeded to beat him to a pulp.
They mashed his face with their boots, and kicked and beat his body brutally
with clubs, leaving him for dead.
When the police happened to find him lying in the road they assumed he was
dead and called for the Morgue Wagon. On the way to the morgue a policeman
heard him gasp for air, and they immediately took him to the emergency unit at
the hospital. When he was placed on a gurney a nurse remarked to her horror,
that his young man no longer had a face. Each eye socket was smashed, his
skull, legs, and arms fractured, his nose literally hanging from his face, all
is teeth were gone, and his jaw was almost completely torn from his skull.
> Although his life was spared he spent over a year in the hospital. When he
finally left his body may have healed, but his face was disgusting to look at.
He was no longer the handsome youth that everyone admired. When the young
man started to look for work again he was turned down by everyone just on
account of the way he looked. One potential employer suggested to him that he
join the freak show at the circus as" The Man Who Had No Face". And he did
this for a while. He was still rejected by everyone and no one wanted to be
seen in his company. He had thoughts of suicide. This went on for five years.
>
One day he passed a church and sought some solace there. Entering the church
he encountered a priest who had seen him sobbing while kneeling in a pew.
The priest took pity on him and took him to the rectory where they talked at
length. The priest was impressed with him to such a degree that he said that he
! would do everything possible for him that could be done to restore his
dignity and life, if the young man would promise to be the best Christian he
could be,
and trust in God's mercy to free him from his torturous life.
The young man went to Mass and communion every day, and after thanking
God
for saving his life, asked God to only give him peace of mind and the
grace to be the best man he could ever be in His eyes.
The priest, through his personal contacts was able to secure the services
of the best plastic surgeon in Australia. There would be no cost to the
young man, as the doctor was the priest's best friend. The doctor too was so
impressed by the young man, whose outlook now on life, even though he had
experienced the worst was filled with good humor and love.
The surgery was a miraculous success. All the best dental work was also
done
> for him. The young man became everything he promised! God he would be. He
was
> also blessed with a wonderful, beautiful wife, and many children, and
success
> in an industr y which would have been the furthest thing from his mind as
a
> career if not for the goodness of God and the love of the people who
cared for
> him. This he acknowledges publicly.
>
> The young man was and is Mel Gibson.
>
> His life was the inspiration for his production of the movie "The Man
Without
> A Face." He is to be admired by all of us as a God fearing man, a
political
> conservative, and an example to all as a true man of courage. And to
think I
> admired him before I knew any of this! He is quite a man!
>
> Paul Harvey
I had gotten this email from my Mother-in-law and she's usually really good about urban legends before forwarding it on. My Father-in-law has since forwarded an email he got saying it was an urban legend, so....
