There’s no shortage of amazing young drummers on the internet, such as this five-year-old Kiss fan and this 17-year-old Norwegian street drummer. But 20-year-old drummer Cornel Hrisca-Munn wins points for sheer tenacity and perseverance since he has severe physical handicaps that would’ve prevented a lesser man from pounding the skins.

Hrisca-Munn was born in Romania with no forearms, a deformed leg and given only days to live by a doctor. After his birth, he was taken to a deplorable orphanage and put on a metal cot with a filthy mattress and left to die. Somehow, he lived long enough to be adopted by a British couple and now plays drums for a jazz band at Oxford University, where he’s also studying philosophy and theology.

Given his handicaps, Hrisca-Munn’s drumming technique is pretty amazing. He plays with sticks strapped to his upper arms and maintains an impressively frenetic beat throughout this cover of “Hot Right Now” by DJ Fresh.

But Hrisca-Munn’s accomplishments don’t end at drumming. In 2001, he took part in a bikeathon for charity and in 2003 he swam 1,000 meters in 45 minutes and raised more than $6,000 in charity for children injured in the Iraq war. Also, he’s won several awards for being an inspiration to others and has been named a Child of Courage by the Pride of Britain Awards.

With drumming like this, it’s safe to say we haven’t heard the last from this inspirational wunderkind.

[via Gawker]

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