okay so it was my sophomore year of high school and my family and I went to the
school and my family and I went to the
school and my family and I went to the Cayman Islands for a spring break
Cayman Islands for a spring break
Cayman Islands for a spring break vacation trip and on the first day
vacation trip and on the first day
vacation trip and on the first day well I’m had the whole thing planned out
well I’m had the whole thing planned out
well I’m had the whole thing planned out for us we went paddleboarding we went to
for us we went paddleboarding we went to
for us we went paddleboarding we went to stingray stage where we got to swim with
stingray stage where we got to swim with
stingray stage where we got to swim with stingrays and feed them a bunch of squid
stingrays and feed them a bunch of squid
stingrays and feed them a bunch of squid is a lot of fun and after a long day of
is a lot of fun and after a long day of
is a lot of fun and after a long day of lots of activities especially after the
lots of activities especially after the
lots of activities especially after the first day and soaking up all that Sun we
first day and soaking up all that Sun we
first day and soaking up all that Sun we went out to dinner and we came back and
went out to dinner and we came back and
went out to dinner and we came back and in once I got back to the hotel lobby
in once I got back to the hotel lobby
in once I got back to the hotel lobby there’s the NCAA finals basketball game
there’s the NCAA finals basketball game
there’s the NCAA finals basketball game on and I got really excited for it so I
on and I got really excited for it so I
on and I got really excited for it so I went out and I sat down on the couch and
went out and I sat down on the couch and
went out and I sat down on the couch and I was texting my girlfriend and I
I was texting my girlfriend and I
I was texting my girlfriend and I actually took this picture and you oh I
actually took this picture and you oh I
actually took this picture and you oh I can’t really see it but it says a 944
can’t really see it but it says a 944
can’t really see it but it says a 944 p.m. and in our time here it was 844 and
p.m. and in our time here it was 844 and
p.m. and in our time here it was 844 and this was nine minutes before the
this was nine minutes before the
this was nine minutes before the accident and but I’ll just pick it from
accident and but I’ll just pick it from
accident and but I’ll just pick it from my story here so I came back and I
my story here so I came back and I
my story here so I came back and I started to get this really itchy feeling
started to get this really itchy feeling
started to get this really itchy feeling that you get when you get sunburned if
that you get when you get sunburned if
that you get when you get sunburned if you know what I’m talking about
you know what I’m talking about
you know what I’m talking about and so I went over to my mom who’s to
and so I went over to my mom who’s to
and so I went over to my mom who’s to know in a different couch I was like hey
know in a different couch I was like hey
know in a different couch I was like hey ma I go across the street and get some
ma I go across the street and get some
ma I go across the street and get some aloe and some water and she was like
aloe and some water and she was like
aloe and some water and she was like yeah sure you want me to come with you
yeah sure you want me to come with you
yeah sure you want me to come with you and I was like I’m 16 I can handle it
and I was like I’m 16 I can handle it
and I was like I’m 16 I can handle it don’t worry about it so what happened
don’t worry about it so what happened
don’t worry about it so what happened was I cross the street
was I cross the street
was I cross the street I bought the water and I was 18 inches
I bought the water and I was 18 inches
I bought the water and I was 18 inches away from making it back to the curb
away from making it back to the curb
away from making it back to the curb where my Marriott hotel was at when I
where my Marriott hotel was at when I
where my Marriott hotel was at when I was hit by a car and you can see that
was hit by a car and you can see that
was hit by a car and you can see that right right here so what happened was I
right right here so what happened was I
right right here so what happened was I was like I said 18 inches away which was
was like I said 18 inches away which was
was like I said 18 inches away which was one more step away from being onto the
one more step away from being onto the
one more step away from being onto the curb when the driver swerved to miss
curb when the driver swerved to miss
curb when the driver swerved to miss jogger by swerving to miss him he
jogger by swerving to miss him he
jogger by swerving to miss him he swerved directly into me and when he did
swerved directly into me and when he did
swerved directly into me and when he did that the left back side of my skull
that the left back side of my skull
that the left back side of my skull smashed against the windshield which
smashed against the windshield which
smashed against the windshield which where you can see started the web
where you can see started the web
where you can see started the web shattering of the car and after that I
shattering of the car and after that I
shattering of the car and after that I was I went underneath the car and 64
was I went underneath the car and 64
was I went underneath the car and 64 feet after the point of impact OHS
feet after the point of impact OHS
feet after the point of impact OHS the street just laying there completely
the street just laying there completely
the street just laying there completely conscious during the whole entire thing
conscious during the whole entire thing
conscious during the whole entire thing and after that I got put on life support
and after that I got put on life support
and after that I got put on life support which I got pwned life support and
which I got pwned life support and
which I got pwned life support and pressure and my cranium got so risky and
pressure and my cranium got so risky and
pressure and my cranium got so risky and got so close to killing me that they had
got so close to killing me that they had
got so close to killing me that they had to remove a large amount of my the right
to remove a large amount of my the right
to remove a large amount of my the right side of my skull which saved my life and
side of my skull which saved my life and
side of my skull which saved my life and so yeah after all that happened see you
so yeah after all that happened see you
so yeah after all that happened see you the other side
oh sorry go back okay so the next that
oh sorry go back okay so the next that been following two months after my
been following two months after my
been following two months after my accident where do I point this okay
accident where do I point this okay
accident where do I point this okay so following two months after my
so following two months after my
so following two months after my accident I endured lots of physical
accident I endured lots of physical
accident I endured lots of physical therapy and that was not a challenge at
therapy and that was not a challenge at
therapy and that was not a challenge at all it was actually fun for me to
all it was actually fun for me to
all it was actually fun for me to relearn how to move every single muscle
relearn how to move every single muscle
relearn how to move every single muscle on the left side of my body due to the
on the left side of my body due to the
on the left side of my body due to the impact that I took on my skull as you
impact that I took on my skull as you
impact that I took on my skull as you can see my primary motor function was
can see my primary motor function was
can see my primary motor function was very damaged saying with the prefrontal
very damaged saying with the prefrontal
very damaged saying with the prefrontal cortex and that’s basically I was
cortex and that’s basically I was
cortex and that’s basically I was supposed to wake up out of my coma and
supposed to wake up out of my coma and
supposed to wake up out of my coma and not know my family not know who I was
not know my family not know who I was
not know my family not know who I was not having my personality but I defied
not having my personality but I defied
not having my personality but I defied all of those odds and I’m able to speak
all of those odds and I’m able to speak
all of those odds and I’m able to speak in front of all of you today which is a
in front of all of you today which is a
in front of all of you today which is a blessing from God and basically I’ve
blessing from God and basically I’ve
blessing from God and basically I’ve learned a lot of things having to go
learned a lot of things having to go
learned a lot of things having to go through this journey in my life and of
through this journey in my life and of
through this journey in my life and of all the things that I’ve learned the one
all the things that I’ve learned the one
all the things that I’ve learned the one thing stuck out to me and that is I
thing stuck out to me and that is I
thing stuck out to me and that is I didn’t understand why everyone saw what
didn’t understand why everyone saw what
didn’t understand why everyone saw what happened to me as being so tragic and so
happened to me as being so tragic and so
happened to me as being so tragic and so depressing because everyone thought I
depressing because everyone thought I
depressing because everyone thought I was depressed and I it was so hard to
was depressed and I it was so hard to
was depressed and I it was so hard to communicate to other people that I was
communicate to other people that I was
communicate to other people that I was myself when I was happy and I was
myself when I was happy and I was
myself when I was happy and I was blessed that I could talk and form
blessed that I could talk and form
blessed that I could talk and form sentences like no one could really
sentences like no one could really
sentences like no one could really understand that and for me that made me
understand that and for me that made me
understand that and for me that made me discover that I have control over the
discover that I have control over the
discover that I have control over the way that I react to things emotionally
way that I react to things emotionally
way that I react to things emotionally of everything in this universe that we
of everything in this universe that we
of everything in this universe that we as humans have no control over the one
as humans have no control over the one
as humans have no control over the one thing that we do is our emotional
thing that we do is our emotional
thing that we do is our emotional response to things that happen to us and
response to things that happen to us and
response to things that happen to us and once I figured that out that that my
once I figured that out that that my
once I figured that out that that my life turned around completely everything
life turned around completely everything
life turned around completely everything I could only find the good out of every
I could only find the good out of every
I could only find the good out of every bad traumatic thing that you know the
bad traumatic thing that you know the
bad traumatic thing that you know the news would report and say like it was
news would report and say like it was
news would report and say like it was just crazy and an example I’d like to
just crazy and an example I’d like to
just crazy and an example I’d like to give is my junior year of high school
give is my junior year of high school
give is my junior year of high school going in to my junior year of high
going in to my junior year of high
going in to my junior year of high school I had absolutely no idea what I
school I had absolutely no idea what I
school I had absolutely no idea what I was going into because I was signed up
was going into because I was signed up
was going into because I was signed up for an AP u.s. class a bunch of honors
for an AP u.s. class a bunch of honors
for an AP u.s. class a bunch of honors classes and all the administrators told
classes and all the administrators told
classes and all the administrators told me you can’t take those and I was like
me you can’t take those and I was like
me you can’t take those and I was like wait pull me out when I fail but until
wait pull me out when I fail but until
wait pull me out when I fail but until that comes keep me in the classes and I
that comes keep me in the classes and I
that comes keep me in the classes and I will prove to you that I can stay in and
will prove to you that I can stay in and
will prove to you that I can stay in and I’ll tell you that my junior year of
I’ll tell you that my junior year of
I’ll tell you that my junior year of high school I got the best grades that
high school I got the best grades that
high school I got the best grades that I’ve ever gotten because I worked so
I’ve ever gotten because I worked so
I’ve ever gotten because I worked so hard at proving everybody wrong because
hard at proving everybody wrong because
hard at proving everybody wrong because I have control over how I view things I
I have control over how I view things I
I have control over how I view things I was positive about everything going into
was positive about everything going into
was positive about everything going into that year and if there’s anything that
that year and if there’s anything that
that year and if there’s anything that you guys should get out of what I have
you guys should get out of what I have
you guys should get out of what I have to say and my story and how I survived
to say and my story and how I survived
to say and my story and how I survived and beat all of the odds and I’m so
and beat all of the odds and I’m so
and beat all of the odds and I’m so blessed to be here to talk to all of you
blessed to be here to talk to all of you
blessed to be here to talk to all of you is that you guys have control over only
is that you guys have control over only
is that you guys have control over only one thing in this entire universe and
one thing in this entire universe and
one thing in this entire universe and that’s yourself and your conscious and
that’s yourself and your conscious and
that’s yourself and your conscious and the way that you view things and with
the way that you view things and with
the way that you view things and with that you need to use that to your
that you need to use that to your
that you need to use that to your advantage and every time that you get
advantage and every time that you get
advantage and every time that you get bad news don’t be so negative about it
bad news don’t be so negative about it
bad news don’t be so negative about it you have you need to see the positive of
you have you need to see the positive of
you have you need to see the positive of everything that happens to you and don’t
everything that happens to you and don’t
everything that happens to you and don’t take anything you have for granted
take anything you have for granted
take anything you have for granted because I’m going to walk again it’s all
because I’m going to walk again it’s all
because I’m going to walk again it’s all about reteaching myself how to do
about reteaching myself how to do
about reteaching myself how to do everything I had to reteach how three
everything I had to reteach how three
everything I had to reteach how three teach myself how to be social or you
teach myself how to be social or you
teach myself how to be social or you teach myself how to learn and it’s all
teach myself how to learn and it’s all
teach myself how to learn and it’s all about patience and for you guys I really
about patience and for you guys I really
about patience and for you guys I really hope that you guys take this advantage
hope that you guys take this advantage
hope that you guys take this advantage of having a troll over your emotional
of having a troll over your emotional
of having a troll over your emotional response the things that happen to you
response the things that happen to you
response the things that happen to you and and make your life a happier more
and and make your life a happier more
and and make your life a happier more positive life it’s as simple as that it
positive life it’s as simple as that it
positive life it’s as simple as that it doesn’t take getting hit by a car
doesn’t take getting hit by a car
doesn’t take getting hit by a car to realize something so simple and I
to realize something so simple and I
to realize something so simple and I mean yes let’s see what else do I have
mean yes let’s see what else do I have
mean yes let’s see what else do I have as I did actually oh so like I was
as I did actually oh so like I was
as I did actually oh so like I was saying I see the pause and everything
saying I see the pause and everything
saying I see the pause and everything like think about it I get to graduate
like think about it I get to graduate
like think about it I get to graduate again I get to graduate from the NCV I
again I get to graduate from the NCV I
again I get to graduate from the NCV I agree I’m gonna graduate high school
agree I’m gonna graduate high school
agree I’m gonna graduate high school despite all odds of me never being able
despite all odds of me never being able
despite all odds of me never being able to learn again I’m just so happy to be
to learn again I’m just so happy to be
to learn again I’m just so happy to be here thank you all for listening to me
here thank you all for listening to me
here thank you all for listening to me and I hope that you guys got everything
and I hope that you guys got everything
and I hope that you guys got everything you wanted to out of this thank you
you wanted to out of this thank you
you wanted to out of this thank you [Applause]
[Applause]
[Applause] [Music]
[Music]
[Music] [Applause]
”
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