Posts by Heidi McIvor-Allen
Gabe Castellanos
Meet Gabe. As a high school freshman, Gabe fell into a diabetic coma. He recovered, but became blind; then, six months later, a broken leg put him in a wheelchair for over a year and ultimately made it necessary to replace his hip. He used music to work through his pain and went from being…
Read MoreHanna and Sarah Biddle
Sisters Hannah (age 18) and Sarah (age 16) Biddle are national champion power-lifters and accomplished musicians. Hannah is a pianist/composer, and Sarah is a harpist. Both been asked to play with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. Although they started down the wrong road, using drugs, they have turned their lives around by making the right choices.…
Read MoreSterling Small
Meet Sterling Small. Growing up on a ranch taught him about hard work and responsibility. Feeling abandoned after his parents’ divorce, Sterling drifted into drinking and using drugs, which took him to “the worst place ever.” His ultimate “high” was when he competed in the Ultimate Warrior Challenge: a sprint, canoeing, running and riding a…
Read MoreMary Huddleston
Meet Mary. In the 5th grade, she had a cancerous tumor in her right hip. She experienced Brain Fog, Tiredness, and Nauseousness with Chemo. When doctors would tell her she can’t do something and then was able to accomplish those goals, she attributes that all to God. She started showing horses when she was little.…
Read MorePatrick McCaffrey
Meet Patrick McCaffrey. Patrick McCaffrey is a student who works exceptionally hard to succeed both in his academics and in his sport of roller hockey. He does not let his autism stop him from succeeding, nor has he let his father’s suicide slow him down from achieving his goals. Pat finds comfort and support through…
Read MoreSuzy Bradford
Texas A&M Galveston student Suzy Bradford loves being out on the water. But her life has been anything but smooth sailing. Her parents divorced when she was very young. Then when she was in high school, her mother was diagnosed with lung cancer (dying from the disease during Suzy’s first semester of college). After that…
Read MoreAndrea Stroud
Meet Andrea Stroud. You’ll see a remarkable young lady that faced an abusive father on top of having to heal from a physical deformity. Please pay close attention to how Andrea was able to move away from the role of ‘victim’ and moved into the role of a truly successful dancer. Andrea Stroud has been…
Read MoreStephen Bradshaw
Meet Stephen Bradshaw. Steve has overcome difficult times in his family relationships, his education and his sport. Although his father’s alcohol addiction strained their relationship, he learned to accept his dad’s imperfections and built a stronger connection to him. The lessons he learned through the process helped him become a leader in his classes and…
Read MoreNatnisha Bowens
Natnisha Bowen who is from Atlanta GA had a tough beginning. Left abandoned with her little brother on the doorstep of a neighbor’s house, she knows first hand about being an outsider. She was only 8 years old when she began being shuttled from one foster home to another. She was then placed in the…
Read MoreDoug Hall
Native American Doug Hall began bronco riding when he was 16, as he and his family recovered from the car accident (caused by a drunk driver) that took his mother’s life when Doug was only 14. Doug’s mother had made him promise to never let alcohol become a part of his life. Picking up the…
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