Deejay (DJ) Matt Howes is the only one-armed DJ, or disc jockey, in the world. He has been DJing since fourteen years of age and became professional five years ago, in 2008. In 2011, Howes suffered from a near-death traffic accident in Malia on the island of Crete, Greece, which led to an intense technical operation that caused his right arm to be amputated. Still, he miraculously survived.

Howes woke up in the intensive care unit after thirty-six hours, and was immediately told that his hospital stay would be for approximately three to six weeks. Yet, he had extremely different plans. Over the following three days, Howes forced himself to walk, eat, and drink to gain back his strength. He also demanded to be outside for at least a half of an hour each day to receive positivity from the sunlight. After a total of six days in the hospital, he was discharged, and was performing eight days later to a crowd of 1,300 people.

The accident could have definitely destroyed his career as well, but he persevered in order to follow his passion and inspire others along the way. He had a live interview on a morning television show with over nine million viewers, and currently has a show on BBC Radio 1Xtra with over five million listeners. At the second-biggest festival in the world, he performed his sets in front of tens of thousands of people and has appeared in interviews for numerous newspapers. Not only has Howes accomplished so much in his short time as a professional, but he has done so with great courage and desire, in order to inspire others who have suffered from similar ordeals. Howes works to promote The Limbless-Association, which is a charitable organization in the United Kingdom devoted to assisting individuals who have lost limbs or are preparing for amputation, as well as providing services of support for their family and friends.

He continues to impress individuals with his increasingly popular DJ sets, and is a true symbol of resiliency. His wisdom and strength are shown through his actions and words. “My future goals are to keep spreading my message of passion, determination, and belief, and that you can do anything you want, but more importantly — to never give up.”

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