Growing Up.
I was born in Washington DC and was adopted as a newborn. I grew up in a Christian home. My father was a pastor, and my mother was an elementary and Sunday school teacher. I am one of six siblings. We lived in Washington DC for the first 10 years of my life, then my father took on a position at a Bible college in Indianapolis. When we moved, things were totally different. In Indiana, people talked slower, moved slower. played slower. And I’d never seen so many white people in my life.
We attended Christian schools, and the first one wasn’t the greatest. We switched my eighth grade year. I was excited, because their basketball program was very competitive. (Growing up, basketball was the big event. I can recall countless battles in the backyard or playground with my brothers and sometimes my dad.) I had a great first season as a eighth grader and was looking forward to playing high school basketball. My goal was to make the varsity team as a freshman, unfortunately I got into some trouble and had to forgo the season. Sophomore year, I was ready! All summer, I spent just dribbling, doing different drills, and playing as much as I could. We went through tryouts and I played pretty good. I ended up being on the junior varsity team and was a little discouraged but thought I could move up later on during the season. Little did I know this would be the journey I wanted to share with you.
Tragedy.
February 25, 1998, I was a sophomore playing varsity basketball, practicing for a tournament. I tipped the ball away from the player I was guarding and took off after the ball it was going out of bounds so I dove headfirst to save it. I ended up hitting the gym wall head on. Everything lined up, and my fourth vertebrae exploded. The ambulance rushed me to a nearby hospital. I remember going in and out of consciousness on the way to the hospital. When my mom arrived at the hospital she came up to me and was bawling crying. Right then a sudden peace of God came over me, and I told her, “Mom, pull yourself together God is in control.” The initial diagnosis was that I would need a trach be paralyzed from the neck down and never have any movement. Through rehabilitation, hard work, dedication, motivation and inspiration from family and friends, and the grace of God, I was able to regain feeling in different parts of my body, strength and some movement in my arms and upper body.
Life In Him.
One of the biggest things I learned was the power of prayer. As I mentioned before, my father worked for a small Bible college. We had no idea what we were going to do, because his salary was not adequate enough to provide for six children and a handicapable son. But through God‘s grace, the members of our church, school, and community came together and provided funds, a vehicle, and a new home. It was beyond anything we could have expected or asked for. God has continued to provide even until this day, and my testimony continues to travel. God’s grace is abundant.
I currently reside in Indianapolis I am amazingly happily married to a God-fearing woman and blessed with a daughter!
"Pull yourself together God is in control."