Shaking Replaces Applause

It’s not easy to express thanksgiving when you are suffering from severe burns or a deadly heart condition. However, during our visit to LAC-USC Medical Center on Thanksgiving, we met some resilient people.

One man, in particular, stood out. He had been paralyzed by the severe burns on most of his body. We asked him if he would rather hear “La Bamba” or “Cielito Lindo.” He chose the latter. After we sang to him, he expressed his gratitude by creating an applause substitute: shaking his legs with a smile. This response touched our hearts more than any applause we had heard the entire day.