When he was just seven months old, doctors found a tumor on his spine. The surgery to remove it left him quadriplegic. By age four, he was zooming around in his own electric wheelchair.
Like millions of kids, Jeff loved Mister Rogers.
Before a hard spinal surgery when he was five, Jeff had one wish: to meet Fred Rogers. His sister wrote to Fred, and the two met for breakfast in Milwaukee.
They stayed friends. And when Jeff was 10, Fred invited him onto the show.
The episode aired in February 1981. Jeff calmly showed Mister Rogers how his wheelchair worked and talked about his surgeries. Then the two sang a song together, “It’s You I Like.”
“It’s you I like,” they sang. “It’s not the things you wear, it’s not the way you do your hair, but it’s you I like.”
Just watch Jeff’s face as he sings along.
The story didn’t end there. In 1999, when Fred Rogers was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame, the surprise guest was a grown-up Jeff. Fred sprang from his seat and went straight onto the stage.
Jeff grew up to be a strong voice for people with disabilities. He passed away in 2007, at only 36.
Years later, actor Michael Keaton, who once worked on the show, recalled Fred saying that his time with Jeff was his most treasured moment on the program.
Did you or your children grow up with Mister Rogers? Tell us in the comments.
