That confidence didn’t appear overnight.
It developed partly because of the message Kevin repeatedly heard at home: his size wasn’t his identity.
His family reminded him that character mattered more than appearance. Being unusually large at birth might make an interesting story, but it said nothing about whether he would become compassionate, funny, hardworking, dependable or successful.
Those qualities would be determined by the choices he made afterward.
As Kevin entered adulthood, something else happened.
The extraordinary circumstances surrounding his birth gradually became less important.
There was school to think about, friendships to maintain, work to pursue and relationships to build. Like everyone else, Kevin developed interests, responsibilities, ambitions and plans for the future.
The famous number attached to his birth became increasingly distant.
People who met him for the first time might still be fascinated when they heard the story. Those who actually knew him, however, had very different things to say.
