"The Woman Who Willed a Miracle" is a 1983 episode of the American television anthology series ''

ABC Afterschool Special ''ABC Afterschool Special'' is an American television anthology series that aired on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from October 4, 1972, to January 23, 1997, usually in the late afternoon on weekdays. Most episodes were dramatically presen ...

'', starring Cloris Leachman,

M. Emmet Walsh Michael Emmet Walsh (born March 22, 1935) is an American actor who has appeared in over 200 films and television series, including small but important supporting roles in dozens of major studio features of the 1970s and 1980s. He starred in ''Bl ...

, Leif Green and

Rosemary Murphy Rosemary Murphy (January 13, 1925 – July 5, 2014) was a German-American actress of stage, film, and television. She was nominated for three Tony Awards for her stage work, as well as two Emmy Awards for television work, winning once, for her ...

Dick Clark Richard Wagstaff Clark (November 30, 1929April 18, 2012) was an American radio and television personality, television producer and film actor, as well as a cultural icon who remains best known for hosting ''American Bandstand'' from 1956 to 198 ...

was the

executive producer Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the making of a commercial entertainment product. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights o ...

under the auspices of his company,

Dick Clark Productions Dick Clark Productions (DCP, stylized in lowercase as dick clark productions or dcp) is an American multinational television production company founded by radio and TV host Dick Clark. The studio primarily produces award shows and other music en ...

. It was produced by Preston Fischer, Sharron Miller, and Joanne Curley-Kerner, and was directed by Sharron Miller and written by Arthur Heinemann. It tells the extraordinary true story of

Leslie Lemke Leslie Lemke (born January 31, 1952) is a blind American savant who is most notable for his work as a musician. Biography Leslie Lemke was born prematurely in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1952. As a complication of his premature birth, he develope ...

, a blind, cognitively impaired boy with

cerebral palsy Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of movement disorders that appear in early childhood. Signs and symptoms vary among people and over time, but include poor coordination, stiff muscles, weak muscles, and tremors. There may be problems with sensa ...

who was raised from infancy by a foster mother who stubbornly refused to let him die. Because of her love and dedication, he not only survived but was discovered to be a musical

savant Savant syndrome () is a rare condition in which someone with significant mental disabilities demonstrates certain abilities far in excess of average. The skills that savants excel at are generally related to memory. This may include rapid calcu ...

Awards

* 1983

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

s for: ** Best Children's Programming (

, Preston Fischer, Sharron Miller, Joanne Curley-Kerner) ** Best Director ( Sharron Miller) ** Best Writer (Arthur Heineman) ** Outstanding Lead Actress ( Cloris Leachman) * 1983

Christopher Award The Christopher Award (established 1949) is presented to the producers, directors, and writers of books, films and television specials that "affirm the highest values of the human spirit". It is given by The Christophers, a Christian organization ...

* 1983

Peabody Award The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Peabody, honor the most powerful, enlightening, and invigorating stories in television, radio, and ...

* 1984 Directors Guild of America Award ( Sharron Miller)

References

External links

* 1983 American television episodes ABC Afterschool Special episodes Peabody Award-winning broadcasts Works about cerebral palsy and other paralytic syndromes {{tv-episode-stub