Baby Boy Born Without Eyes Perches At Piano, His Next Action Has Dad Racing For His Camera

Oct 01, 2021

Louisville, Kentucky residents Patrick John and Patricia Hughes had thousands of dreams for their new baby boy when they found that they were expecting back in the late 1980s. Patrick John Hughes could likely not wait to bond with his son over fishing trips and playing catch. However, all of these dreams were put on hold when they learned that their son was born without eyes. But in 1988, when he sat down at a piano and found the keys at less than 1 year old, they were blown away by his ability.

Not only was Patrick Henry Hughes born without eyes, but he also could not straighten his legs and arms because of a rare condition. The boy was fitted with artificial eyes and given a wheelchair to get around.

Although Patrick Henry Hughes has a host of physical limitations, he is incredibly gifted in other ways. Even at one year of age, Patrick Henry Hughes demonstrated a love and a natural talent for playing the piano.

Patricia Hughes would sit with the young toddler at the piano and play a song. Patrick Henry Hughes was amazingly able to replicate the tune without even the benefit of being able to see the keys. It was clear from a young age that Patrick Henry Hughes had a gift for musical performance. 

By 2 years old, the sweet boy was already taking song requests.

As the young boy grew up, his love for music continued. He played both the piano and the trumpet throughout school and was even able to join the University of Louisville marching band, an incredible accomplishment for a boy with his disabilities.

But how exactly did a young boy born with rare and debilitating conditions — such as congenital hip dysplasia and bilateral anophthalmia with pterygium syndrome — go on to become a multi-instrumentalist?

Patrick Henry Hughes' story begins on March 10, 1988, when he was born with the aforementioned rare diseases that prevented him from straightening his limbs, according to the below video. He was also born without eyes, meaning that Patrick Henry Hughes' has been severely disabled since birth.

"It's just countless the number of dreams that died," Patrick John Hughes explains in the video clip. "And my wife and I were devastated. We just asked, 'Why us?' We played by all the rules, we worked hard. We just didn't understand."

But then Patrick Henry Hughes took a seat at the family's piano in their Louisville, Kentucky home. As home videos show, Patrick Henry Hughes had a natural affinity for the instrument. Before he was even 1 year old, the musician-to-be was already able to listen to his mother play a key and then find and tap on the same note.

"You could go up and hit a note — no matter where it was on the piano and within one or two tries, he would find that exact note," his mother explains in the video below.

At 2 years old, Patrick Henry Hughes was already able to play simple songs. His dad would simply have to ask, "Can you play 'Twinkle?'", and the boy would start tapping the tune away at the keys. What makes this feat even more impressive is that Patrick Henry Hughes couldn't see the keys at all. In addition, his movement was restricted. And yet, despite these potential setbacks, he was able to find the notes, extending his short 2-year-old arms back and forth across the piano.

Although Patrick Henry Hughes' father was devastated upon finding out that his son had been born with so many congenital conditions, his son's newfound talent demonstrated that his disability did not mean a life of setbacks.

"I was just ecstatic that, you know, we're not going to play baseball, but we're going to play music together," Patrick Henry Hughes' father explains in the video clip. "And that was really exciting. Let's see how far we can run with this."

By high school, Patrick Henry Hughes was playing blues numbers in front of audiences. And then he applied to college. Following his acceptance to the University of Louisville, Patrick Henry Hughes got the opportunity of a lifetime. The university's marching band director asked him whether he would join the team.

"I said, 'Patrick, would you be a part of the marching band?' And the reaction was just a little bit of a pause," the university's marching band director at the time says in the below interview.

"The next step was working out what we needed to make happen in order to have Patrick be involved in the marching band, other than just parking on the sidelines and playing his instrument," he added.

"My dad and I were hearing this and were like, 'Uh, right.' I mean, how and the heck am I supposed to march?" Patrick Henry Hughes asks.

But this inspiring musician and his father quickly came up with a solution. As Patrick Henry Hughes played his instrument, his father would push his wheelchair so that they could be part of the marching band. Suffice it to say that Patrick Henry Hughes' father is one dedicated man.

Not only did he show up to every game to help his son with his marching band activities, but he also accompanied Patrick Henry Hughes to every class at university. That meant that Patrick Henry Hughes' father had to work the graveyard shift at UPS from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m., only to get up again at 11 a.m. to help his son. But despite his grueling schedule, Patrick Henry Hughes' father is more than ready to help.

"He's my hero. I've told him before," his father says in the below interview. "What he goes through, it's taught me that I don't really have any complaints. I guess a father couldn't ask for any more than the relationship that I have with Patrick."

Since Patrick Henry Hughes was featured in the video clip below, he went on to graduate magna cum laude from the University of Louisville with a degree in Spanish. He's also made other appearances on TV, including as a recipient of a complete home renovation on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition in 2007 and on Family Feud in 2012. His incredible story even made it to the big screen, with a 2015 film adaptation of his life titled "I am Potential."

Watch the video below, and you'll see just how amazing he is.

With the help of his parents, Patrick Henry Hughes knows that he can accomplish anything that he sets out to do. This video demonstrates more of this inspirational story. After you have watched all about Patrick Henry Hughes' accomplishments, be sure to spread this inspiration to everyone else that you know. And let us know what you think about this incredible story.