I'm ready for a good old-fashioned feel good story and have I got one for you today.
I know many of my readers aren't from Texas and aren't University of Texas Longhorn fans. I myself graduated from Texas Christian University, a school that played against UT so I still find myself unable to "put my horns up" like so:
photo courtesy of photoblog.statesman.com
Just can't do it.
But you can't really live in Austin without being surrounded by all things UT.
So while I may not put up my horns, I've enjoyed attending the occasional football game and following a few of the players.
And one of my favorite players to come through the University of Texas has been Jordan Shipley.
photo courtesy of espn.go.com
If the quarterback gets the ball even remotely close to him, he's going to catch it. He was just such fun to watch.
Now, his younger brother, Jaxon Shipley, is playing for UT and he seems to be filling his big brother's shoes quite nicely.
photo courtesy of austinchronicle.com
But this isn't a story about football.
This isn't a story about the Shipley brothers.
This is a story about the Shipley sister, Shelby.
And a very special young man.
It's a story of compassion put into sincere action.
So go get your kleenex. You're going to need them.
But I bet you'll also feel good knowing that there are people like Shelby Shipley out there in the world, educating people and promoting awareness in a way no parent ever could.
Enjoy.
SHELBY SHIPLEY PROM FEATURE from Michael Holmes on Vimeo.
Brandon reminds me very, very much of my friend, J. R. Finley. It's amazing how similar are their stories - J. R.'s doctors gave his parents very little hope when he was born, too - and he is now in his late 30's! He has great parents, too, and loves UT football.
ReplyDeleteThe double fist pump sent me over the edge!! Ugly crying at work during my lunch break!!!
ReplyDeleteSimply beautiful beginning to end. Thanks for sharing.
This was very touching, beautiful and special! Kudos to Shelby (and the rest of the Shipleys) for reaching out to those special kids. They see beyond his physical needs and treat them as a normal person. This young man will definitely never forget his prom and I am sure Shelby won't forget him. The parents have been impacted as well and have another special memory of their son. The Shipleys have definitely raised their kids right.
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