Do you know that Eddie Redmayne was a celebrated actor even before Fantastic Beast? His impressive portrayal of theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking in the movie ‘The theory of everything’, won him an Oscar in 2015.
Stephen Hawking, one of the most brilliant minds the world has ever known, was struck with motor neuron disease in 1963 at the age of 21. Life was just beginning for him as he had met the love of his life and had just been accepted into post-graduate studies. Doctors pronounced that he had only 2 years to live. However, Hawking defied that prognosis and lived another 55 years. He also got married and had 3 children. Call that a miracle or simply luck, Hawking said that it was his family that kept him living on.
Although totally paralysed and unable to even speak, he continued on with his work with the use of a computer system that had a speech generating device. He went on to contribute immensely to science, particularly in physics and to the understanding of Black Holes, winning the Nobel Peace prize and countless other award.
Stephen Hawking is not only a man with an extraordinary mind but one with an indomitable spirit. His greatest gift to the world perhaps is not just his intelligence but his resilience in beating the odds and clinging onto hope. “While there is life, there is hope.”
