ORLANDO, Fla. – Emotional video showing a man who is blind meeting his favorite character at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, for the first time has touched the hearts of many.
Basílio Santana, 21, lost his sight at 9 after being diagnosed with Devic’s disease, a rare disease that resembles multiple sclerosis. Earlier this month, he traveled to the popular theme park with his mother after winning a contest.
Meeting Mickey Mouse was Santana’s favorite moment of the entire trip. During the meeting, one of Santana’s translators told Mickey the family was visiting from Brazil.
“Wow! All the way from Brazil? Cool. My friends have been teaching me some Portuguese,” Mickey said to Santana.
Mickey then takes Santana’s hands and runs his fingers across his face.
“I ran my hand across his head, arms, hands, and clothing. It was a very exciting time and unforgettable for me,” Santana said.
Nataly White, one of Santana’s tour guides, filmed the video and shared it on her Facebook page. It has been viewed more than 1.5 million times in nearly a week.
“I was crying like a baby. Basílio is amazing. The energy in that room was so strong. Everybody was crying,” she said.
Santana’s mother, who also has Devic’s disease, also gave Mickey a big hug.
“She was hugging Mickey and saying, ‘Thank you! Thank you! I love you!’ And she was crying so much. That killed me,” White said.
Santana described his trip as “perfect,” but he said this moment with Mickey was the most special.
