Have you every heard this?
I just was sent this in an e-mail! I wonder if it is true or not?
Here is a true story by Paul Harvey. Pass it to anyone who you think
> would find it interesting and inspiring. You will be surprised who
> this young man turned out to be. (Do not look at the bottom of this
> letter until you have read it fully.)
>
> Years ago a hardworking 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 a 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 a 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 Christian 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. There 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 worst 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. And to think I admired him before I knew any of this! He is
> quite a man!
>
> Paul Harvey
Here is a true story by Paul Harvey. Pass it to anyone who you think
> would find it interesting and inspiring. You will be surprised who
> this young man turned out to be. (Do not look at the bottom of this
> letter until you have read it fully.)
>
> Years ago a hardworking 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 a 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 a 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 Christian 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. There 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 worst 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. And to think I admired him before I knew any of this! He is
> quite a man!
>
> Paul Harvey
