Anderson Silva is quite possibly the greatest fighter in MMA history, but more importantly, he has a heart of gold that beams brighter than anything he’s ever accomplished in the UFC.
Joao Pedro is a 12-year-old Silva fan suffering from Epiphysiolysis, which is medically defined as the loosening or separation of an epiphysis from the shaft of a bone.
The disease, which affects Pedro’s legs, has confined him to a wheelchair for the past nine months and forced him to give up sports.
A sport Pedro has a tremendous love for is MMA. In the video, Doctor Eduardo Picanço asks him to name his favorite athletes, and he quickly names Anderson Silva and “Minotauro” Nogueira as his favorite MMA fighters. The doctor pauses for a moment and motions over to the door, where Silva surprises his young fan with a visit and gifts.
Pedro, who is both shocked and surprised, immediately breaks down when he meets his idol. Silva’s message to his young fan was translated to English by Reddit user, GuerrillaPanda (via BloodyElbow.com):
“What’s up, dude? How are you? Are you all right? Don’t cry, let’s get better. I’m right here. Let’s get better quickly, ok?
You need to do something very important for us; you have to try really hard to get better soon. Minotauro (Big Nog) had the same problem but is fighting again. I’m going to get in touch with his doctor and we’ll see if he can help you too somehow. But you have to promise to try hard, and no crying ok? Promise me? Get better and we’ll train together, all right?”
Silva spent his childhood reading comic books and admiring superheroes.
Little did he know, one day he’d actually become one. We could talk all day about the many accomplishments and accolades Silva has achieved in his fighting career, but it’s moments like these that truly give you pause and makes you appreciate an exceptional human being.
Whoever claimed real-life superheroes don’t exist has obviously never met Anderson Silva, who truly is “Brazil’s Spider-Man.”
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