Desmond Blair, a project manager in the hospital’s IT Department, is accustomed to skeptics. Despite being born with a bi-lateral hand difference, Desmond has always dreamed of being an artist. As a child, he was a patient of Tony Herring, M.D., who currently serves as the hospital's Chief of Staff Emeritus and spent much of his childhood in and out of the hospital. Desmond would roam the halls, thinking of his future. For as long as he can remember, people outside of the hospital thought it would be impossible for him to achieve his dream. Desmond has proved his skeptics wrong. Today, when he isn’t working in the hospital, he produces art that is sought after throughout the country.

His artwork has garnered plenty of media attention. Desmond has been featured in several news stories, including a lengthy segment in WFAA earlier this week. He was also a featured artist at the hospital’s Summer Colors event last July, showcasing a series of paintings that were inspired by amputees.
 
"The hospital was one of the first places where I really felt comfortable, and it's because I saw other kids like me,” Desmond explained. "I see all these kids with all these different challenges, and if you think about it, at the end of the day, they don't care about the fact that they're missing a leg or that they have scoliosis. They don't care about that. They just want to be a kid and do the things that kids do."
             
Desmond’s artwork is marked by stunning realism and authenticity that most artists spend their lifetimes trying to perfect. He frequently stuns audiences with his technical abilities.

"You can see it in their face," Desmond told WFAA. "How? How does he paint?"

Desmond hopes that his artwork inspires people to look beyond the surface and see what's truly underneath.

“My ultimate goal is to sell my art, but I kind of want to be a philanthropist of sorts and use my artwork to encourage people and inspire people,” Desmond says. “But really, I also want to give back and try to help people who are born with limb differences.”

Watch Desmond's full feature on WFAA and read his Staff Spotlight to learn more about his story and his artwork.