Wheelchair man: Turning myself into a superhero
March 7, 2017 10:01 AM Subscribe
Mohammad Sayed was abandoned by his family in Afghanistan after his house was bombed and he was left paralysed. Now he has become a US citizen, and designed a comic book superhero - Wheelchair Man - based on his own life story.
Sayed's idea of not giving up hope and started to shift when he learned about Mahatma Gandhi. That was his introduction to using non-violence as a weapon, and the whole concept blew his mind. “Before learning about Gandhi, my role models were warlords,” Sayed says. “And I said I wish I had my legs so I could go kill these bastards — the Taliban.” Those warlords were replaced with Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Nelson Mandela.
While studying at NuVu, an experimental high school in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Sayed made several inventions to help people who use wheelchairs. He was invited to the 2015 White House Science Fair and presented his inventions to President Obama.
Sayed's idea of not giving up hope and started to shift when he learned about Mahatma Gandhi. That was his introduction to using non-violence as a weapon, and the whole concept blew his mind. “Before learning about Gandhi, my role models were warlords,” Sayed says. “And I said I wish I had my legs so I could go kill these bastards — the Taliban.” Those warlords were replaced with Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Nelson Mandela.
While studying at NuVu, an experimental high school in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Sayed made several inventions to help people who use wheelchairs. He was invited to the 2015 White House Science Fair and presented his inventions to President Obama.
Are there any major mainstream US comics characters who use wheelchairs anymore? Professor X (usually) did and so did Oracle, but he's dead and she's been "cured" for 6 years now.
posted by Sangermaine at 11:12 AM on March 7, 2017
posted by Sangermaine at 11:12 AM on March 7, 2017
What about that role that Samuel L. Jackson played in M. Night Shylaman movie with Bruce Willis? He was 'made out of glass' because of like severe osteoporoses and had to use a wheelchair.
posted by StonersRetreat at 12:20 PM on March 7, 2017
posted by StonersRetreat at 12:20 PM on March 7, 2017
This 47-year-old paraplegic is hella-inspired right now.
posted by DrAstroZoom at 1:22 PM on March 7, 2017 [5 favorites]
posted by DrAstroZoom at 1:22 PM on March 7, 2017 [5 favorites]
What about that role that Samuel L. Jackson played
Unbreakable...Mr. Glass
posted by artdrectr at 3:17 PM on March 7, 2017
Unbreakable...Mr. Glass
posted by artdrectr at 3:17 PM on March 7, 2017
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