Mitchel Shapiro, Founder of the Foundation for Sight and Sound Inspires St. Mary’s Patient Families
St. Mary’s recent launched a series of motivational workshops to help children and adults with disabilities learn to overcome their challenges. The program kicked off with renowned motivational speaker, Mitchel Shapiro, President and CEO of the Foundation for Sight and Sound.
Mr. Shapiro presented “Overcoming Obstacles from Someone Who Knows,” a highly-praised workshop that inspires audience members to turn their weaknesses into their greatest strengths.
Mr. Shapiro was diagnosed with Usher Syndrome, a disease that gradually robs its victims of both vision and hearing, and his presentation highlighted his ability to overcome the obstacles that came with his disability, and his confidence to look ahead to accomplish anything he wanted.
St. Mary’s kids, some of New York City’s most ill and injured children battling complex medical and life-limiting conditions related to serious illness, injury or complications of premature birth, quickly related to Mr. Shapiro whom they saw as “one of them.” They all eagerly listened with loads of questions following the presentation. “Can you have surgery to get your eyesight back?” “Do you ever want to be normal?” All issues he faces everyday, Mr. Shapiro confidently answered that he deals with what was handed to him and if that changes in time, then it does, and that he is as normal as anyone can be.
As part of the presentation, Mr. Shapiro handed out blindfolds and asked everyone in the room to put them on to see how they felt temporarily losing their eyesight.
St. Mary’s kids, families, and staff members all were amazed as Mr. Shapiro truly showed that his disability never stopped him from doing anything he wanted, and how he found good in everything that he experienced in his life.
Anyone interested in being a motivational speaker, or community members interested in attending sessions, should contact Vivian Figueroa at 718-281-8518.
