David Douglas is six feet tall, 330-pounds, and a powerlifter, but none of his muscles are as strong as his heart.
David, whose nickname is “The Beast,” met Lindsay Ratcliffe at Relentless, a powerlifting event sponsored by HopeKids to benefit children with rare diseases.
Lindsay is 12-years-old and suffers from a rare condition called progeria, which causes children to appear to age rapidly.
David says the first time he met Lindsay it immediately changed his life.
“Everytime I look at this picture of me and little Lindsay meeting for the first time at Relentless years ago, a rush of emotions come back. This little girl changed my life in so many ways. Today is her birthday and I want to wish the biggest, most deserving birthday to this inspiring, beautiful little girl.”
“Lindsay became my lil sis since day one. I knew she meant something to me, but after everything that has happened, there is no words to describe how I feel about her. She has pulled me out of rough spots just by thinking of her. That is a priceless gift. That is why I made it my duty to help her out in any way that I can.”
Here’s a recent photo of the pair that went viral on Facebook.
“People looked at me as strong when everything about her was stronger,” he wrote on Facebook about the picture above. “Instead of putting those words off to the side, i decided to put it right on me to make the point even louder. You have to look at the big picture of it. Let it soak in instead of nitpicking it. Positive > Negative. Her heart, personality, and smile pours from her and touches everyone around her.”
David has gone so far as to travel across the country to surprise his young friend.
“I will forever remember that moment and that feeling seeing her run to me and smile.”
If you want to Lindsay and her family, you can donate to their fundraising page here.
