During his abbreviated 22-year life, Graham Gardner was unable to speak or to walk on his own. Yet he forged meaningful relationships wherever he went. His cerebral palsy forced him to rely on other people — sometimes complete strangers — for absolutely everything. Yet he accepted his reality, lived in the present moment, reveled in relationships, and exuded radiance around him. Graham personified joy and he lived love. 

 

My interview with his father, Dr. Steven Gardner.

 

This powerful episode will move you and have you question the idea of "Quality of Life".

 

Graham’s father, Dr. Steven Gardner, is an internist at Massachusetts General Hospital, Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and past Medical Director of the Massachusetts Special Olympics. He is a past winner of the Harvard Medical School Humanism in Medicine Award. Steven is a prominent photographer whose images focus on the resilience of people facing adversity and the compassion of caregivers. His work has been exhibited in Boston and Martha’s Vineyard, where he is a volunteer physician at Camp Jabberwocky, the location and inspiration for many of the stories in his book, Jabberwocky: Lessons of Love from a Boy Who Never Spoke (Made for Success Publishing, April 27, 2021). Learn more at Jabberwockybook.com.