Tom Spicer is wearing a huge pair of headphones and an expression of mild anxiety.

Backstage at the Honda Centre, Anaheim, California, at one of the world’s biggest rock gigs, Tom is about to find out whether he will fulfill his 15-year-dream to meet his idol, Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich.

Tom is now 40, and this scene took place two years ago. But this was not just a tick on a “things to do before 40” list – it was an unprecedented achievement. Tom has fragile X syndrome, the most common cause of inherited learning disability.

Read the rest of my piece on the Guardian website.