We were saddened to hear about the passing of Wayne Dobson, but we were also shocked. And to be blunt, it shouldn’t be that shocking to hear that someone who battled multiple sclerosis for more than thirty years has passed away. But Wayne kept beating the odds, and he was so great for so long that, to us, he somehow started to feel invincible.
There are three ways we can appreciate Wayne today and keep his memory alive.
The first is to acknowledge just how exceptional he was. He was wheelchair bound for so long that it seemed, at times, that the narrative had become about how much of a “fighter” he was, or that he was so clever despite his disabilities. But let’s take a moment to remember that by his early thirties, Wayne was one of the two most successful magicians in the UK, and an extraordinary, fresh, hilarious talent. Need a reminder? This clip from his Royal Variety Performance will warm your heart.
The second way to remember Wayne is to think about his extraordinary adaptation. When he became wheelchair bound, he adapted his material. When he lost the use of one hand, he created and performed some truly astonishing magic that used just one hand. When he lost the ability to move at all, he never quit, nor did he complain about his situation. He was an inspiration by every measure.
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