People made fun of Manute Bol when he was in the NBA, because at 7-7 he was so gawky, but this is a man who is far braver than most people realize. The story about killing the lion with the spear is well-known (Bol modestly says the lion was sleeping - big whoop: you try doing it), but less well-known is just how much he has personally sacrificed to help his people in the Sudan. Check out his Wikipedia page for a general summation although it doesn't really get into details. He's an extraordinary man.
Unfortunately, he's also a very ill man. After his most recent trip to the Sudan, Bol was diagnosed with kidney failure and Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, which sounds awful. He may or may not survive all this.
This guy, who to many of us appeared to be a punch line or comic relief, has shown more substance, character, courage and grace than anyone could have imagined. We hope he makes it through and gets to continue his life's work of helping his people and truly doing his best to build a better world. He has never taken the easy way on anything. Really, while he is famous for killing the lion, he himself has the heart of one.
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