Dilshad Vadsaria Instagram – It’s you I like. ♥️
#Repost @katiecouric
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Twenty years ago today we lost a true American hero. An angel on earth, really. I loved Fred Rogers and had the privilege of interviewing him for the Today Show. But this by far is my favorite Mister Rogers moment. ❤️❤️❤️
Fred Rogers first met Jeff Erlanger when he was five years old. Jeff’s parents, knowing he was about to have especially difficult spinal surgery, wanted to fulfill his wish to meet his longtime “television friend” Mister Rogers. When Fred was traveling to nearby Milwaukee, they had a chance to meet. Later, when Fred Rogers wrote a script that included the mention of a wheelchair, he had Jeff in mind.
Mister Rogers didn’t dismiss Jeff’s disability or the difficult times “when you do feel sad.” He wanted to give Jeff a chance to talk about it and share those honest feelings with others. The ten-minute segment was unscripted and unrehearsed!
Almost twenty years later, when Fred Rogers was inducted into the TV Hall of Fame of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, Jeff Erlanger was brought in to introduce Fred to the audience. Fred was so delightfully surprised that he leaped up on stage.
Erlanger became very active in Madison, Wisconsin municipal politics, holding a number of positions in the community including as a member of the Economic Development Commission, chair of the Commission on People with Disabilities, and chair of the Board of Directors of the Community Living Alliance. He helped gain the accessible taxicab service in Madison today. Erlanger died in June 2003.
Thank you Mister Rogers for everything. And thank you Jeff for all you did for people with disabilities. 🫶
#wuc #kcm #misterrogers #fredrogers #jefferlanger #itsyouilike #rip #misterrogersneighborhood | Posted on 28/Feb/2023 02:16:57
