Eating, brushing teeth, writing, playing guitar, throwing a Frisbee, are daily tasks taken for granted. On January 20, 2012, Christian speaker and musician, Tony Melendez came to Mount de Sales to remind us to always appreciate the little things in life and to never take anything for granted.
“It was amazing how much confidence he had. Even without his arms, he is comfortable in his position and has an unending smile on his face,” said Bridgette Lappe ’12.
Born without arms and a club foot, Tony travels around the world playing the guitar with his feet, talking about the sanctity of life, and leaving his inspirational footsteps on the hearts of millions.
The “Toe Jam Band” set up instruments in the gym and performed several pro-life songs for the assembly in preparation for the March for Life.
Tony and his brother Jose, the band’s manager, took some time aside from the performance and shared a little background on Tony’s life as he was growing up. The medicine that his mother was taking when she was pregnant with Tony is the reason for his disabilities. Tony was fitted for artificial arms when he was a baby but he only wore them until he was 10.
“I never felt comfortable wearing them, Tony explains, “I could use my feet for so much more.”
When it was time for Tony to go to school with his brother, they both got teased for Tony’s disabilities. Jose admits that he used to feel ashamed of Tony because he was so different from all of his other friends.
“I didn’t want a disabled brother,” he said.
Although he was frustrated, Jose always ended up fighting for his little brother. He got into a lot of physical fights with the people who would make Tony feel inferior about his condition.
“If I had two arms, I would not use them in that way,” said Tony, “I would not use my arms in a dangerous way to fight my battles.”
Tony taught himself how to play the guitar with his feet when he was 16. He places the pick in between his toes and presses down on the chords with his other foot.
Aside from playing the guitar without his arms, he also amazed the crowd by not only throwing a Frisbee with his foot but also by attempting to make the Frisbee go into the basketball hoop from across the gym. Tony remarkably caught the Frisbee in between his neck and shoulder, and then launched the Frisbee to the other side of the gym with his foot. Even though he missed, he said he would never give up until he made the basket-a moral lesson that he never wants any of his peers to forget.
M. Rodahaver '12