Through “blood, sweat and tears,” he learned to talk with a computer-aided device, and he even learned to drive and went to college! Best of all, he found the love of his life, Joana, in 2008.
Martin is happier than ever and beyond grateful for how far his life has come.
And even though the words from his mother cut deep, he knew she was only coming out of a place of frustration with herself. He holds no animosity against her.
“While I was very sad and upset by what she said, I understood where that was coming from,” said Martin. “My mother often felt that she wasn’t a good mom, and one of the hardest things for me was I couldn’t tell her that ‘no you are doing great.’ She is a good mother.”
His mom broke down in tears when she found out he knew.
“I am very, very sorry I said it,” she admitted through sobs in an NBC interview.
Now Martin’s got a powerful message for the world:
“Treat everyone with kindness, dignity, compassion and respect whether you think they understand or not, to never underestimate the power of the mind, the importance of love and faith, and to never stop dreaming.”