Josh de Lioncourt was just the right age when He-Man and the Masters of the Universe first premiered on television back in 1983. As he tells it, he instantly became obsessed with the the world of Eternia–like countless others of his generation–and it became an instrumental part of his childhood. In Josh’s case, however, that would have a different meaning than it did for many.

The following year, Josh became extremely sick. He was hospitalized for an extended period of time, comforted only by making sure his nurse put on He-Man for him on television every afternoon. Once he was finally released, his relief was sadly short-lived. The medication he was put on had severe side effects, eventually causing him to completely lose his sight. His illness became much worse and doctors couldn’t figure out what was wrong with him. Josh was expected to die.

During this time, Josh’s parents had reached out to Filmation, where He-Man and the Masters of the Universe was made (as an aside, it would be one of the last major cartoon shows to be produced entirely in America), and told them about his love for the TV series. Not long after this, he received a surprise cassette tape in the mail. When Josh played it, he couldn’t believe his ears.

Josh would recall that he would “never forget pressing play on my little cassette recorder and hearing the voice of He-Man, (John Erwin), and Cringer (Alan Oppenheimer), speaking to me directly. They offered me their friendship, their best wishes, and greetings from other residents of the Royal Palace on Eternia.”

Ultimately, Josh would survive his illness. Possibly inspired by his childhood loving the sword and sorcery of Masters of the Universe, he would go on to become a fantasy author. Although his vision never returned, his affection for He-Man only grew stronger over time. He would eventually be interviewed for the documentary featurettes included on the DVD release of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe in the mid-2000s. As he spoke, the late Lou Scheimer–the head of Filmation–personally stopped by to check up on him, remembering the story of the sick boy who got relief from a cartoon.

You can read Josh’s incredible story in his words here. John Erwin (who also voiced Morris the Cat), alas, passed away last year, and liked to keep his privacy, never even showing up at fan conventions because as Alan Oppenheimer tells it, he was “very shy.” But he did reach out to a kid who was in desperate need of lifting, and in his voice, you hear nothing but kindness, warmth, and the sincerest form of empathy. God bless him.

Have the power tonight, y’all! (Also, don’t worry, I’ll do something stupid again next time)