I don’t think it’s as much empathy for being disabled, as much as it’s hero worship for doing a thing a lot of people wish they could’ve done themselves. The spinal condition gives the motive, and the memorable name is… well, memorable.

Now, if more disabled folks were to don a green shirt and blue overalls, and perform more courageous acts that benefit society as a whole, then I’d bet more people would hero worship them too.