#samberns

Who knew that it would be so hard to achieve a dream as simple as being a percussionist in a high school marching band? Something that just about any high school student would be able to do. To be able to lift and carry a snare drum with no issue of worrying if you could carry it or not. But for someone like Sam Berns, it was a hard feat to accomplish.

Sitting on a chair with a spotlight shining down on him in the middle of the stage was Sam, donning a blue button-down shirt with some khaki colored pants and black shoes. Although quite daunting, he sat up straight and looked right at the huge dark crowd at the Ted event at Washington DC. With his shaking hands being the only thing indicating his nervousness, he spoke clearly and with purpose, making the listeners hang on to every word of his story.

Sam Berns was diagnosed at two years old with a condition called Progeria or Hutchinson-Gilford Syndrome. It is an extremely rare genetic disorder that is caused by the mutation of the LMNA gene, with about 350 children affected worldwide.

To add more information about this disease, it causes them to age rapidly, which starts appearing at the age two. Some of the symptoms are tight skin, lack of weight gain, stunted growth, as well as heart disease. This leads to most of them not living past the age of thirteen years old.

At the start of his freshman year of high school, Sam had a dream of being a part of the marching band as a snare drummer at the Foxboro High School in Foxboro, Massachusetts. But since he weighed only about 50 pounds due to his condition, he wouldn’t be able to carry a snare drum and harness that weighed about 40 pounds each. That is why his band director placed him on the pit percussion during the halftime show. He did have a good time playing there, but he knew it in his heart that it wasn’t enough for him. That there has got to be some other way for him to be able to achieve what he really wanted. That his illness would not hinder him from achieving his dream.

So, that leads him and his family to commission an engineer that could somehow be able to build a special harness suitable for him. That was lighter and easier enough for him to be able to carry around. And at the end, after continuous hard work, they were able to develop the snare drum apparatus that was only 6 pounds.

Making his wish finally come true, to be able to be a part of band marching and playing the snare drum during the halftime show. You could see on the video that he has shown that he was happy to be there, and it has grown to be a great and fond memory.

In 2012, his mother and her team of scientists published the first successful Progeria Treatment Study. And because of this study, he was given the opportunity to be interviewed by the NPR by John Hamilton.

During this interview, he was able to share the insights of his own beliefs and views. When asked the question “What is the most important thing that they should know about you?”, Sam simply answered that he has a very happy life. His philosophy of a happy life is what helped him overcome the hardships that were mostly given to him by Progeria. He said it made him learn to be okay with what he can’t ultimately do because there are so many more things that he could. That he should only surround himself with people that he wants to be around with, who will help support him and love him for who he was. And last but not the least, to always keep moving forward no matter what. Of course, he experienced his own fair share of hardships, but that didn’t deter him from believing in himself. That his condition shouldn’t define his life. He carried with him a passion that was brighter than fire, igniting a fire within people to want to learn from him. Lighting up motivation to be able to achieve dreams that were once thought was out of reach. Instead, creating a path that would lead to it

Sam Berns was a seventeen-year-old junior in Foxboro High School when he passed on January 10, 2014. He had the highest honors, percussion leader in the marching band, and was an Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America.

Some wonderful primates who are not afraid to tell their truth, and deserve to be recognized for their courage. 

Lizzie Velasquez- A force to be reckoned with. 

Velasquez is a champion for us all. Her vulnerability, positive outlook on life, and acceptance of those who have hurt her are all things we should learn from. I watch her videos when I need to get out of a funk. Her smile is simply contagious!

Check out her videos here: https://www.youtube.com/user/lizzitachickita

Roxy Wright- The 79-year-old who prefers to see the world in color. 

She has bright hair, a killer sense of style, and a fearlessness like no other. Roxy is fighting for world peace, and refuses to conform along the way. 

Here’s Roxy’s StyleLikeU interview (highly recommend this channel btw): 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axg3SUvrwrc

Image courtesy of: StyleLikeU

Sam Berns- A boy who refused to let Progeria kill his spirit. 

Berns sadly passed away in 2014 at the age of 17, but his positive outlook on life continues to provide a lesson years later. 

Here’s his Ted Talk, a must watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36m1o-tM05g

#PSYCHOLOGY - What Is Happiness?

One of my favorite Ted Talk videos is a 2013 talk by Sam Berns, a at-the-time 50 pound 17 year-old boy diagnosed with Progeria, which is a rare, rapid aging disease. His life philosophy can really change your perspective on what’s important, and it certainly did to me the first time I watched his speech.

To Sam, the secret to a happy life is:

1. Don’t focus on what you can’t do because there’s so much you can do

2. Surround yourself with people you want to be with

3. Look forward to the future

This is probably something we all already knew, right? Maybe in theory, but practically no. Sometimes, we surround ourselves with the wrong influences, and end up forgetting who we are. Other times, being positive and pulling through challenges is extremely difficult. Besides, we all have stuff going on, though it might not always be visible like in Sam’s case. But in this short video, Sam was able to make me and I’m sure other millions of people rethink our lives and what makes us happy. As cliché as it sounds, it’s simply true.

Speaking of happiness, I would like to share here something that makes me happy: making spontaneous videos. A year ago I decided to create a Youtube channel, which has been an extremely fruitful learning process for me. I prepared this video a couple of days ago with some friends in NYC during a recent blizzard. Hopefully it will bring some joy into your day :)