People

“Seven weeks before my wife was supposed to give birth, Tommy stopped moving. We rushed to the hospital hoping for the best. The doctors were forced to do a C section. Tommy survived but his life’s struggle was only beginning. He has cerebral palsy and he is the most caring, loving person I have ever known. He has taught me so much. Before he was born I was a self-absorbed, selfish jerk. He has been a blessing in my life everyday since”.

“He also has autism, is almost entirely blind, confined to this wheelchair and wakes up every morning smiling. He is my beautiful Tommy Boy”.

“He loves to feel the sun on his face so we take every chance we get to come to the park”.

“”I’m not handicapped, I’m just different. Many people with the same challenges I have let that challenge define their lives. My mom always told me that everybody is unique and different, my difference is just physically noticeable. I can do anything that anybody else can do, I just have to do it a little differently”.

“I think the key to being happy is to be grateful. I choose to be grateful and happy every morning I wake up. Today is a new day, a new adventure, a new chance to make something of myself”.

“I absolutely love what I do. I’m a salesperson at the Microsoft store. I get to meet and help new people everyday. I also help run my mom and dad’s food truck. We owned a small restaurant in Iowa so it’s what we know. After we moved here from Las Vegas, we started talking about what we could do as a family and decided that a food truck was our best option”.

“My tattoo is from a Japanese anime called “Fooly Cooly”. It just reminds me that never to assume anything and that I have to have faith in something greater than myself”.