I believe I can fly
I believe I can touch the sky
I think about it every night and day
Spread my wings and fly away

When my eldest daughters were in kindergarten, they learned this song. They would sing it with the hope and optimism that you only seem to find in healthy young children. They have grown and they have flown. They are living lives beyond our imaginations those many years ago.

But what about a child born with spinal muscular atrophy, a rare birth defect? Children born with spinal muscular atrophy rarely live beyond the first couple years of their lives. Do we believe these children can fly?

If you said no, I urge you to consider the case of Joseph Button, known in Second Life as Hunter Talon. Hunter Talon’s imagination soared and brought many people with it. He shared his imagination online and as a screenwriter and a graphic novelist. He passed away earlier this month.

I never knew Joe, so I think it is best to let other sources speak for themselves. First, I would encourage you to check out Joe’s MySpace page. His ‘About Me’ section starts off:

I slayed a hundred Nazis with a Swiss Army Knife and a standard issue PCL, or a Paper Clip Launcher to you civilians. It was slow, it was gruesome, it was a complete lie. But I need friends and killing Nazis always earns friends.

A local television station interviewed him here:

When, Joseph Button passed away. His sister added this comment on his MySpace page:

Joe defied the odds and lived nearly 25 years with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, a rare medical condition, when doctors predicted he wouldn't live past age 2. He lived each day with enthusiasm and accomplished so much in life, always with the desire to help others. In death he chose to donate his body for medical research with the hope that something might be learned about his disease. We would like to continue Joe's wish of helping others and have created a memorial fund for those that would like to contribute in
Joe's name.

Joseph Button Memorial Fund
c/o The Button Family
2748 Sharon Road
Jarrettsville, MD 21084

So to any of you that don’t believe you can fly, take a lesson from Joe Button and spread your wings and fly away.