A serious medical condition robbed Brandon Wright of his chance to play football, but not his ability to inspire

BY ED WRIGHT
Nov. 10, 2009, 8 a.m.

   One of the most important virtues God has empowered my wife Laura and I with since he blessed us with our 16-year-old son Brandon is acceptance.

  It did not come quickly nor did it come easily, but it has come, and for that, we are thankful.

  As the parents of a child with severe mental impairments, we have learned that if you keep asking "Why him?" and "What if?", your soul will be forever tormented.

  Just a few days after Brandon was born on May 29, 1993, he suffered a series of devastating, unexplained seizures. Within the first three years of his life, Brandon endured thousands of seizures -- events that severely impaired his brain, but couldn't touch his unbreakable fighting spirit that inspires me on a daily basis.

  One night two Decembers ago, after waking up in a hospital emergency room following an especially scary bout with seizures that forced a 911 call, Brandon opened his

eyes and looked at his mom and I as if to ask, "What in the world just hit me?"

  Then in typical Brandon fashion, he flashed a broad, drowsy smile.

  Although Brandon is a strong, physically healthy 16-year-old, he has the cognitive skills of an 18-month-old child.

  When most kids his age were learning how to walk, Brandon was struggling to roll over.

  When kids Brandon's age were starting to play pee-wee soccer, Brandon was mastering the art of walking.

  Every milestone reached was coated with inspiration for everyone who witnessed his struggles.

  When he ate a bowl of cereal by himself for the first time when he was 14 years old, I couldn't have been more proud if he had aced an algebra exam or returned an interception 99 yards for a touchdown.

  Although Brandon can't talk, he can communicate. Just the other day while I was sitting at the kitchen table typing a story for the website, a package of bologna dropped on my laptop's keyboard.

  "I'll make you a sandwich in a minute, buddy," I told Brandon, who delivered the bologna. "Just let me finish my story."

  About 20 seconds later, a loaf of wheat bread dropped on my keyboard.

  Yes, like most 16-year-old boys, Brandon is always hungry and often impatient.

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