Etched in Sand is a beautiful story about a resilient woman named Regina Calcuterra. Here is a story about a resilient 17 year old boy. http://www.ksl.com/?nid=294&sid=12224864&autostart=y
Find a person who shows or has shown human resilience. Tell us the story.
Several years ago, Sidiki Conde, of Guinea, collapsed when he was on his way to school. He spent months in a hospital in a coma. Not much was known about his medical condition. Some doctors thought it was polio but other medical illnesses crossed their minds. After waking up from his coma, he was completely paralyzed from the neck to his feet. He eventually became severely depressed and considered suicide. However one night Conde had a dream when a voice spoke to him and asked him why he was so sad because he was still alive. Conde was inspired by the voice in his dream and began working to fight his condition and recover. He asked if he could be released from the hospital the day after his dream, and he eventually gained full control over his arms once more. After regaining control of his arms, he worked to learn how to do each activity that he enjoyed before his accident. He taught himself to walk, bicycle, water-ski, drum, compose, choreograph, and dance. He is currently making a living by playing in his band Tokounou and teaching music lessons. A documentary has also been made about his life. It is titled "You Don't Need Feet to Dance." Before his accident, Conde was never interested in music. He currently walks up five flights of stairs on his hands each day to get to his apartment in New York City. He has displayed great resilience in every activity he does. The resilience he uses to walk up stairs is the same resilience he used to learn how to play and read music. He has refused to give up since his first day leaving the hospital, and he has conquered every challenge that has been thrown at him.
ReplyDeleteHailee,
DeleteThat story is amazing! What happened to Sidiki is something of a miracle. That story truly embodies resilience. I love that you found a way to incorporate two things you love into this blog.
Hailee,
DeleteThis was such an inspiring story. It takes a lot of will power to listen to a voice in a dream and succeed. I found this story very interesting.
Hailee,
DeleteYou wrote a great blog this week. I love the story and how hard this man worked to get back on his feet. I do not think it was a miracle that be became so active again, like jenna said, I think it was from his willpower and help form God. Great story, great blog!
Albert Einstein was one on the greatest scientists of our time, but he had struggles in his early life. He could not speak until the age of four, he had a speak difficulty which he eventually over came it. He could not read until the age of seven, and struggled with English most of his elementary and middle school years. He was alone at school and hated everything to do with school, until he found him an algebra book and taught himself it and then all the way up to calculus. He was forced to leave his first school, which was a catholic school, because of poor grades in everything except for math. His dad lost his job and they moved to Switzerland at the age of 16 for Albert Einstein. His dad forced him to learn about electrical engineering, and he did well but his teachers suggest he try physics out. He did extremely well and changed feuds of study. Then he won the noble prize and came up with theories that are still used today.
ReplyDeleteMitchell,
DeleteI never knew much about Albert Einstein's life before this blog. I find it really interesting that he wasn't a "genius" in every subject.
Mitchell,
DeleteWow!! I never knew that Einstein wasn't good at other classes except algebra. I always though he was this crazy genius who knew everything. I guess I was wrong. It was very interesting to read about Einsteins past.
Mitchell,
DeleteWhile your blog seemed a little rushed, I loved the subject. Albert Einstein is such an inspiration and a role model to people now, that it's great to know that he had to work hard like everyone else.
Mitchell,
DeleteI thought you chose an interesting person to write about. I never knew how many difficulties Einstein faced in his early life. However, I also agree with Catherine that your blog seemed a little rushed.
Mitchell:
DeleteIt was good to pick Albert. His story is remarkable and a lesson we all can learn is that we all have a gift and it might take longer for some of us to find it than others. My suggestion to you is to reread your blog as it had a few errors and capitalization mistakes. This would help you even look smarter.
Oprah Winfrey, though wealthy, famous, and incredibly generous now, had a very trying childhood. Her mother, Vernita Lee, was only 18 when she was born, and her father was only 20. Due to her parents' young age, her grandmother, Hattie Mae Lee, raised her until her mother could find work. On her grandmother's farm in Mississippi, she learned to read and write at the age of 3. She skipped kindergarten because her intelligence surpassed that of her classmates. At 6 years old, Oprah's grandmother became sick, and she was sent to live with her mother and half sister, Patricia, in Milwaukee. Her mother worked as a maid, but she had to rely on welfare for the majority of their income. Vernita was not often home, but when she was, she spent most of her time with Patritia. So, Oprah filled the silence with the television and dreamt of becoming a star.
ReplyDeleteAt age 7, Oprah was sent away to live her father and his wife, Zelma, in Nashville. They were not able to have children, so they loved having her live with them. For the first time in her life, she had her own bed. In Nashville, she skipped get another grade, and started third grade. After she finished third grade, her father took her back to Milwaukee to visit her mother. Then, Oprah discovered she had a new half-sibling named Jeffrey. She chose to stay with her mother and share a room with her two siblings in their two bedroom apartment.
At nine years old, Oprah's 19 year old cousin babysat her and her siblings. That cousin raped her, then took her out for ice cream, telling her not to tell anyone. A few years later, she was raped by her uncle and a close family friend. Oprah began to lash out because her mother neglected to give her direction and she wasn't allowed to discuss her sexual abuse. Oprah's mother could not handle the behavior, so Oprah was sent away to live with her father.
At 14, Oprah realized she was pregnant. She hid it from her family until she was 7 months pregnant and could no longer hide it. The day she told her father of her pregnancy, she went into labor. She had a baby boy, but he died only two weeks after he was born.
At 16 years old, Oprah read "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," a book she says "validates her existence." To deal with her devastation, Optah focused on education and public speaking. In 1970, she won a 4 year scholarship in a public speaking competition. That scholarship gave her the chance to get a college education and jumpstart her career. From 1986 to 2011, she hosted a charitable show to aid people facing the same difficulties she did in her early life. Oprah's resilience has contributed to the success of many troubled people.
Jenna,
DeleteIt's hard to believe that Oprah was able to maintain a studious lifestyle in the midst of family issues and sexual abuse. Due to the fact that she is so famous today, most people probably aren't even aware of the hardships she endured growing up. This was an interesting read!
Dwyane Wade is a professional basketball player who plays for the Miami Heat. He overcame a tough childhood to get where he did today. He grew up in the south side of Chicago, aka the projects. Wade describes his tough childhood as, “my mom was on drugs and my family was in the gang environment, so it was a rough environment. As an infant, Dwyane Wade Sr. left the family, causing Dwyane’s mother to get into the drug business. His family was living in poverty as they were not able to get by, so his mother started using drugs and selling them. Wade said, “I've seen the needles laying around the house. I've seen my mother shoot up before. I've seen a lot of things my mother didn't even know I'd seen as a kid." Wade spoke about how around age 6 he recalls a time when the police came to his house and held a gun to his head, demanding that he brings them to his mother, JoLinda. His sister had enough, causing them to move into their father’s house when Dwyane was 8. They moved to Robbins, Illinois, which meant Wade did not see his mother for 2 years. Leaving Jolinda alone only made things worse as she became the tester giving her free access to drugs. The tester was someone who tested the drugs for anything wrong with it before it was sold. Jolinda put it this way, “if it a bad set of drugs, I was dead right on the spot.” Eventually Wade’s mother was arrested for possession of crack cocaine and heroin. Wade went to the jail and talked to her at age 10 through the glass panel and telephone. Wade said talking to her was the worst day of his life having to see his mom like that. Dwyane Wade then turned to basketball as an escape from all this hardship. She then was on work release, but failed to return back to jail one night, making her a fugitive to the law. Jolinda found something that changed her life: faith. 2nd Timothy 3:5, “having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.” That day she “kicked drugs and alcohol cold turkey” as Jolinda put it. Dwayne Wade, then playing basketball at Marquette University, came home to visit his mother hearing that she was clean for the first time in his life. Jolinda then told her son that she needed to come clean and go back and turn herself in for running away from jail, so she went to serve the rest of her sentence. She started a ministry behind the bars, and received a letter from Dwayne saying she was his “hero!” Jolinda got out of jail and was able to go see her son play his final home game in college at Marquette University as he had an unbelievable game. Wade went on to get drafted into the NBA, overcoming his tough childhood. While he was playing in the NBA, his mother studied to become a Baptist minister, and today she still preaches the word of God, as she says is a big reason for her turn around.
ReplyDeleteESPN did an E:60 on this and the link is attached. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NtQBjcu8KI
Gabe,
DeleteThis is a truly inspirational story. Children with a tough childhood often have a very tough chance of ever escaping the tragedies of their face family. What is even more remarkable, was that Dwayne Wade was able to overcome his rough childhood and escape it with sports. As an avid sports player and fan, this was awesome to see. Not only did his mother come clean, she began to completely turn her life around with the fsith of God.
Helen Keller was an American author, political activist and campaigner for deaf and blind charities. When Helen was only 19 months old she suffered a sever childhood illness that left her deaf and blind, she only had partial sight. For they first few years of her life she was only capable of communicating with her family through a few different signs. However, unable to communicate properly she was considered to be bad behaved. In 1886 Helen was sent to an ear, eyes, and nose specialist who sent them to Alexander Graham Bell. Bell was investigating issues with deafness and sound. Bell helped Helen visit the Perkins Institute for the Blind. While she was there she began a long relationship with Anne Sullivan. Anne began to teach Helen how to communicate and they had a long relationship of 49 years. As Helen was frustrated at first because she could not pick up Anne's hand signals after awhile she picked up on them and made rapid progress. Sh overcame her bad habits and learned Braille and began a fruitful education. Helen became a skilled writer and speaker. In 1903, she published an autobiography "The Story of My Life"It recounted her struggles to overcome her disabilities.
ReplyDeleteKira,
DeleteYour blog was really interesting. I love Helen Keller and I read her autobiography in English last year. Great job!
Benjamin Clark was a retired marine turned chef most known for his great meatloaf and his ability to remember everyone's names along with their favorite orders. He was not a police officer, he was not a firefighter. But Benjamin Clark was one of the bravest and selfless people to be in the twin towers on the day of 9/11. Benjamin was one of the civilians who made sure every person on the 96th floor made it out of the south tower alive. Benjamin didn't make it out. As a father of five kids, Benjamin had a lot to live for. His family share what his life and his sacrifice meant for them and for others.
ReplyDeleteThe day started for Benjamin at 4 am when his son Taj woke up as he was getting ready for work. He told him not to go to work, that he had a really bad feeling about the day. Benjamin told his son to go back to sleep because he needed rest for his first day of school, and dismissed the concerns. As he was preparing meals for the workers in his company, a plane hit the tower he was in. Benjamin waited for everyone got out before he continued himself. Benjamin stopped at the 78th floor to help a women in a wheelchair who was all alone. He died in the tower helping others. Later that evening, his mother waited for him to come home on the subway, but he was Late. She didn't realize that her son was one of the many brave heros who didn't make it out.
Benjamin Clark showed amazing resilience helping everyone else survive. He could have made it out if he was thinking about himself, because everyone else did. It took amazing resilience to stay behind and help people when he could have gotten to freedom. Benjamin Clark was not under any obligation to help. He was not a firefighter, not a police. He was just a chef who showed amazing resilience and died doing it
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/09/11/the-story-of-an-unsung-9-11-hero.html
Catherine,
DeleteBefore this blog, I have never heard about this man. It makes me upset knowing that there were heros in that building who many of us don't even know the names of. It is remarkable that despite knowing he could lose his own life, he tried to help others.
Eric Berry, a NFL safety from the Kansas City Chiefs, showed great resilience this past year as he overcame Hodgkin disease. Hodgkin disease is a type of lymphoma, a cancer that starts in white blood cells. The cancer starts when cells in the body begin to grow out of control. Cells in nearly any part of the body can become cancer, and can spread to other areas of the body. Before I tell you about his battle overcoming cancer, I would like to tell you a personal experience I had with Eric himself. I was sitting in the Philadelphia airport returning from a vacation in 2009 and noticed a man sitting in the corner with headphones on. I knew he looked familiar, and I happened to notice a Tennessee book bag next to him. Then it hit me. It was Eric Berry. I had known about him because he was such a big NFL prospect heading into the NFL draft. So as an excited kid seeing a famous person, I went over to talk to him. He happened to be typing on his laptop and he never saw me, so I startled him when I tapped him on the shoulder. I expected what most famous people do to fans, a quick hello and and autograph and they would be on there way. To my surprise, he asked me to stick around and talk. We talked about his journey to where he was, and gave me advice to never stop reaching for your dreams. By this time, myself, my siblings, and my cousins were all huddled around him listening to life advice he was giving us. We even sat together on the plane and exchanged emails. It was an absolutely unforgettable experience that I will never forget. As we got off the plane, he asked our parents if he could talk to us quickly by ourselves. What he said I will never forget. He told us to count every blessing we have, and make sure we thank God every single day. He told us after he was done talking to run to our parents, given them a hug, and thank them for everything they do for us. At the time I might not have appreciated it as much, but now I realize how amazing of a person he was to take the time and say what he did to us. Years later he was a stud safety in the NFL, and I admired watching him play. He played with heart, and gave everything to God. It was an absolutely tragedy when I saw him diagnosed with cancer. Then I saw his response to his diagnoses. He never gave up hope once. And soon enough, he battled and overcame cancer in a year. He came back and continued following his dreams and had an unforgettable first season back, making the Pro Bowl and making the best out of every day. I truly admire his resilience and love he had for others. I will never forget the experience I had with him, and I will continue to follow his already unforgettable career.
ReplyDeleteBrad,
DeleteYour personal experience with Eric Berry is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! I really like how you incorporated it in your blog because it defies the perception that famous people don't have a passionate, sensitive side to their personalities. It's honestly amazing how it only took a year for him to beat cancer. He must be tough, but what can I say? He is a football player. I would like to add that his resiliency earned him the 2015-2016 NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award. This is a remarkable story, and what makes it even better, Brad, is the fact that Eric Berry had an impact on you and your family!
Brad:
DeleteThis story was awesome! Cancer sucks. I knew the story of Eric Berry, but your personal experience with him made the blog awesome. Everything he told you he actually did. He never quit like he told you. This was great to read!
The Heroic Story of Kevin Downs
ReplyDeleteThirteen years ago, Kevin Downs played in his final football game for Harpeth High School in Tennessee. During one of the games his senior season, he played wide receiver with a broken finger. It is hard enough to catch a football as it is, let alone with four fingers on one hand. However, Kevin's toughness was on full display. It was engraved in his DNA. Little did he know that his resiliency is the reason he is still alive to this day.
Just weeks after graduating high school, Kevin went off to boot camp, and a year later, he was deployed to Iraq. On August 13, 2005, as Kevin operated a machine gun turret in an Iraqi city, a massive explosion launched him more than fifty feet from where he was originally located. Three of his fellow soldiers perished instantaneously, but miraculously Kevin made it out alive, at extreme costs. The life-changing incident took its toll on him physically, mentally, and emotionally. His whole body was severely burned. Both of his legs were amputated, and he lost an ear and the ability to use his left arm. He spent the next three years in and out of the hospital. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) impaired his mental capacities. In 2008, Kevin was finally back home again and living off a government stipend, after seventy-six (76!) surgical operations.
In 2013, he married a woman who was able to "look past the scars." Kevin found the love of his life in Amanda, a mother of two children who divorced her husband after enduring an abusive relationship. One of her kids, James, sought refuge in football. For Kevin, serving his country had always been a dream of his. Now he had the chance to make that dream a reality in a slightly different way. He decided to become an assistant coach for his former high school football team, where James now plays, and where the field house was named in his honor. Whenever the players struggled to find motivation and willpower, Kevin was the reassurance they needed. He fought overseas, lost two legs, and continues to overcome physical pain, just so they could have the opportunity to step on the field each and every day. Although Kevin still struggles to find consistent normalcy day in and day out, he has become an unsung American hero, but more importantly, an inspiration to all.
I forgot to mention this. It just so happened that earlier today, as I was searching for a resilient story to tell, ESPN posted this documentary on Kevin Downs. How ironic is that! I think it is neat and remarkable how things sometimes play out.
Delete