Leslie Lemke was born in 1952, and was a victim of multiple severe birth defects, including eye disease, cerebral palsy, and extensive infant brain damage.

His retinal damage was so severe that it necessitated the removal of his eyes shortly after birth. His prognosis was so grim that his despairing birth mother gave him up for adoption.

At six months, he was adopted by a compassionate nurse named May Lemke. For the first seven years of his life, he barely moved and uttered no sounds. He was unable to stand until 12, and walk until 15.

But at age 16, May heard their old piano being played, and Leslie was playing a near perfect version of Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1.

How was Leslie able to absorb and reproduce these complex musical pieces?