A
REMARKABLE STORY
Years ago a hard working man took his family from New York State to
Australia to take advantage of a work opportunity there. Part of this
man's family was handsome young son who had aspirations of joining the
circus as a trapeze artist or an actor. This young fellow, biding his
time until a circus job or even one as a stagehand came along, worked
at the local shipyards which bordered on the worse section of town.
Walking home from work one evening this young man was attacked by five
thugs who wanted to rob him. Instead of just giving up his money the
young fellow resisted. However they bested him easily and proceeded
to beat him to a pulp. They mashed his face with their boots, and kicked
and beat his body brutally with clubs, leaving him for dead. When the
police happened to find him lying in the road they assumed he was dead
and called for the Morgue Wagon.
On the way to the morgue a policeman heard him gasp for air, and they
immediately took him to the emergency unit at the hospital. When he
was placed on a gurney a nurse remarked to her horror, that his young
man no longer had a face. Each eye socket was smashed, his skull, legs,
and arms fractured, his nose literally hanging from his face, all is
teeth were gone, and his jaw was almost completely torn from his skull.
Although his life was spared he spent over year in the hospital. When
he finally left, his body may have healed but his face was disgusting
to look at. He was no longer the handsome youth that everyone admired.
When the young man started to look for work again he was turned down
by everyone just on account of the way he looked. One potential employer
suggested to him that he join the freak show at the circus as The Man
Who Had No Face. And he did this for a while. He was still rejected
by everyone and no one wanted to be seen in his company. He had thoughts
of suicide. This went on for five years.
One day he passed a church and sought some solace there. Entering the
Church he encountered a priest who had seen him sobbing while kneeling
in a pew. The priest took pity on him and took him to the rectory where
They talked at length. The priest was impressed with him to such a degree
that he said that he would do everything possible for him that could
be done to restore his dignity and life, if the young man would promise
to be the best Catholic he could be, and trust in God's mercy to free
him from his torturous life. The young man went to Mass and communion
every day, and after thanking God for saving his life, asked God to
only give him peace of mind and the grace to be the best man he could
ever be in His eyes.
The priest, through his personal contacts was able to secure the services
of the best plastic surgeon in Australia. They would be no cost to the
young man, as the doctor was the priest's best friend. The doctor too
was so impressed by the young man, whose outlook now on life, even though
he had experienced the worse was filled with good humor and love. The
surgery was a miraculous success. All the best dental work was also
done for him. The young man became everything he promised God he would
be. He was also blessed with a wonderful, beautiful wife, and many children,
and success in an industry which would have been the furthest thing
from his mind as a career if not for the goodness of God and the love
of the people who cared for him. This he acknowledges publicly.
The young man was and is Mel Gibson.
His life was the inspiration
for his production of the movie "The
Man Without A Face." He is to be admired by all of us as a God
fearing man, a political conservative, and an example
to all as a true man of courage.
BLACKBURNE & BROWN
MORTGAGE COMPANY, INC.
George Blackburne, III, Esq.
President and Chief Procrastinator
You
can reach George at george@blackburne.com
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