Lewis Hine

Diagnosed with a brain tumor when he was just 17 months old, Lewis's life has consisted of many hospital visits and much time staring at four walls. After 13 brain surgeries, he still battles with drug-resistant epilepsy and Hydrocephalus, and has a mechanical pump in his brain that keeps him alive. The basic challenges of just staying alive, and the isolation and loneliness that came with a long-term illness, presented Lewis with not a problem, but a challenge. After years of missing school and having no friends, he had an idea. He reached out to young people to see if there were others like him facing the same challenges. The response was phenomenal. Starting locally, he created Friend Finder. He held groups to get people together and exchange details using Near Field Technology, and the wider Friend Finder World Online. He won BBC Radio 1 Teen Hero of the Year in 2016 for his work with Friend Finder. In March 2017, Lewis became a global phenomenon when he made a 90-second video about his life and Friend Finder. He posted the video online to tell the world that he exists, he does matter and that it’s okay to be different. After 31 million views, and 50,000 messages from young people like him looking for a friend, he realised this was just the start of his journey. Although his illness may define the length of his life, he wouldn’t let it define how he lives it. His disability gave him the ability to understand and help others. CBBC is making a documentary about Lewis and his work that will air late in 2017.

Links:

Wesbite:  www.lewishine.co.uk

Facebook: /lewishineofficial

Twitter: @hine_hin