Nick was born without arms or legs. At first his parents were shocked but they wanted their son to have a normal life. Nick said, “It was so hard for them but right from the start they     16     to make me independent.” With his parents’ help, Nick learnt to brush his teeth, answer the phone, use a computer and play the drums. Learning new things was difficult and it took a long time.     17    , his mum was patient and did not get angry with her son. Nick’s mother     18     hard for Nick to go to a school for ordinary kids. She invented something so Nick could hold a pen and pencil. Nick was intelligent and enjoyed learning but some children were unkind. They treated him badly so Nick was     19     at school. Once he even decided to drown himself in the bath. At the last minute, he thought about his parents and decided to live.

Nick’s life changed when his mum showed him a newspaper story about a     20     man. This man did great things and helped people. Nick realized that he was not the only person with problems. “I decided to be     21     for what I have,” he said. Today Nick has a wonderful life. He is married and has a son. He enjoys football, golf and swimming. Nick travels around the world giving talks to help people. He gives humorous     22     and makes people laugh. These talks also have a serious message. “I tell people to always love themselves,” said Nick. This is one of the many     23     he learnt from his mother.