Hee Ah Lee

Hee Ah Lee with her 4 fingers playing piano

No one wants to be born with a disability. Flaws and problems in our life often make us want to give up. But it doesn't matter for Hee Ah Lee, a pianist from South Korea. She was born with a disability, she's suffering from lobster claw syndrome. She has only 2 fingers on each of her hands, like a lobster claw. Her feet are just knee long, she was amputated when she was 3 because her feet were so weak and sensitive that she couldn't walk. Besides the physical disability, she also has got mental retardation which makes it really hard for her to study.

We might think that, that kind of condition would be a really big problem that makes it impossible for her to do something useful, but the fact is Hee Ah is different. She takes it as a special gift from god. She has been practicing piano since she was 6 because her mother forced her to do that as a therapy for her weak fingers. She found it really hard that she only has 4 fingers and she's got mental retardation and she had to learn piano. But she tried hard and now she's known as a professional pianist that can play many difficult compositions.

Her favorite song, Chopin's Impromptu Fantasia, isn't played easily by a normal 10 fingered pianist. She's been practicing it for 5 years until she was able to play it well. Her dream and spirit make her determined to face the fact and do her best. She receives all that god has given to her with all of her heart and soul. She's so grateful that she's been born with this condition as a message from god to the other people to always be thankful to god for everything he has given.

She's really inspiring. With all of her handicap, she still can reach her dream and do useful things for herself and others. She doesn't take her handicap as a problem, but she uses it to push herself to fight to do her best.

Hee Ah Lee