(Via Shoryuken )

Japanese  Street Fighter player Osamu Ichikawa has dealt with the challenges of brain paralysis his whole life. Amazingly, this hasn’t stopped him from becoming a dedicated gamer, using his cheek and chin to manipulate his fighting pad. 

Osamu now dreams of attending EVO 2012, where he would have the chance to prove his skill and cast his handicap aside. Here’s a message from the man himself:

I am a 29-year-old street fighter with brain paralysis. I was diagnosed with the condition when I was one, and have been living with a wheelchair in my entire life.

I’ve always loved video games, and in growing up, I played a lot of NES at home with my friends and family. Video games give me the chance to be free from the physical disadvantages and differences. I can communicate with no problem, but I cannot move the rest of my body below my neck. I began playing the SF series after watching Umehara-san. He has been a great inspiration to me in playing SF. I play Street Fighter using my cheek and chin, which is a style I became settled with through years of experimentation.

Growing up, I could not go to arcades despite my strong desire because there was no wheel chair access and no controller. Even today, the situation has not been improved much. I would love to come to EVO 2012 this summer. I think of EVO as the greatest tournament in the world and have always wanted to attend. I would love to play against people from all over the world, and be in the same room and in the same moment and share the passion and energy with my fellow players. There,
my handicap doesn’t exist.

I am so grateful for any support you can offer to try and make my dream come true. Thank you so much!

– Osamu Ichikawa

If you’ve got a little bit of extra cash and were touched by this note from Osamu, I recommend donating RIGHT HERE   to help him realize his dream.