David Miti was born in 1966 in Zambia’s Eastern province where he built a career as a truck driver and a carpenter. Then, at age 34, his life changed forever. “The day started with a fever,” Miti recalls. “I went to a hospital and got medicine, but after I went home I discovered a blister on my left leg. Then after some hours there was another blister on the other leg. Then my legs turned black.” Mr. Miti was diagnosed with gangrene, a condition in which body tissue dies due to a lack of blood supply. To save Miti’s life, doctors had to amputate both legs. “It pained me” says Miti. “I nearly committed suicide. I thought that my life had ended.” But it hadn’t. Instead, Miti found an opportunity to leverage his disability by giving back to those in similar positions to him. Miti started working for the Zambian Association for Children with Disabilities, where he uses his carpentry skills to build devices for disabled children. Now, he has the opportunity to walk thanks to a pair of prothetic legs. Filmmaker
Austin Meyer documents Miti's first steps in this short film.
The
Short Film Showcase spotlights exceptional short videos created by filmmakers from around the world and selected by National Geographic editors. We look for work that affirms National Geographic's belief in the power of science, exploration, and storytelling to change the world. To submit a film for consideration, please email
sfs@natgeo.com. The filmmakers created the content presented, and the opinions expressed are their own, not those of National Geographic Partners.
