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94chem
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This week my son will begin his third season with the Houston Hotwheels wheelchair basketball team. He loves sports more than anything, but he has cerebral palsy and had never been able to compete on a level playing ground. His team is sponsored by TIRR Memorial Hermann. They are a wonderful sponsor who pays most of the travel expenses to tournaments, provides uniforms, and overall creates a great culture for athletes with disabilities. Kids come from as far away as College Station come to play on the team. They have a prep team (middle school) and a varsity (high school). Most tournaments are weekend drives (e.g. UTA or San Marcos), but there are also out of state venues.

The Hotwheels have a proud history, even winning the national championship when they were led by Peter Berry. You can read the story of him and his brother here:

https://www.si.com/college/2023/05/25/berry-brothers-alabama-wheelchair-basketball-daily-cover

The Hotwheels' players can tell a ton of stories like these. Some were born disabled. Some had accidents or illnesses. There are amputees who can walk with prosthetic limbs, and kids who can never leave their chairs to get around. The Berrys just happen to be the most famous advocates.

But make no mistake. This is a varsity sport. The kids push themselves every week at practice, work out on their own, and get better for themselves and their teammates. Some of them even go on to play in college. But the best part, and the thing I love to see in my son, is that for the first time in his life, his ceiling is his God-given ability, and not his disability. It's basketball, and it's hard, and there are people quicker, stronger, faster, smarter, and tougher than you. But you can't know your limits if you can't compete.

Last spring his team got to play an exhibition match in Houston at the Final 4. Last week one of his coaches gave him a piece of the floor as a souvenir. We actually think he took a shot from where SDSU hit the game winner against FAU:



Here's a news story about the prep team:

https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/hotwheels-basketball-final-four/285-5f936b14-475c-42f7-8a1b-1d073f5b0612

Finally, since this is the Houston Board, some of you must know disabled middle school or high school kids who could benefit from this community. After my son competed in basketball, he got the courage to do UIL Track & Field as well. Last spring he qualified for the state meet in the 100 and the 400. He's building muscle, confidence, and relationships. Because of his work ethic, his teammates have a ton of respect for him, and he's just one of the guys.

So, if you know of anybody who might be interested, we could use some fresh talent (I've already told my son they're screwed if he's a starter, lol). Lemme know, and I'll hook you up.

I should add that the teams are co-ed in both prep and varsity. Our best girl from last season is now playing at Wisconsin-Whitewater. Our best boy went to the University of Arizona for Track & Field (he won the state championship in the 100, 2nd in the 400).
94chem,
That, sir, was the greatest post in the history of TexAgs. I salute you. -- Dough
maroon barchetta
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94chem
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Just waiting for practice to end. We have a kid who can lift 300+ lbs, but he only has one good arm. He showed up tonight with a custom chair that he can push from one side and make both wheels turn. Can't wait to see him go beast mode with these new wheels. Chair cost more than a decent used car...
94chem,
That, sir, was the greatest post in the history of TexAgs. I salute you. -- Dough
94chem
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My son, who is a junior, got a recumbent bicycle 2 years ago, and it's been a life changer. He takes himself to school on the greenbelts, and we have an armada in the garage. Once we had two walkers, a recumbent bike, a basketball wheelchair and a track wheelchair. The track wheelchair stays at school now.

Over the summer, he biked all over town looking for work...when it was 105 every day for weeks. Every fast food joint is hiring, and he even had a job last summer, but nobody is hiring...him. He's a hard worker, follows instructions, is plenty smart, and never misses. But, you know, there's the disability, and he's had to hear every excuse in the book while watching his friends get jobs. It hurts to see him go through this. I know exactly what's going on, and while I want him to understand the prejudice he's experiencing, and it makes me angry, I don't want him to play the victim and quit. Perseverance is a great character trait to nurture.

Recently, at his Chick FilA interview, after striking out again, I followed up with the manager. She told me that he was asked in his interview if he had ever told a lie. He confessed that yes, in fact in his entire life, he had actually told a lie. Therefore, no job. You can't make this stuff up.

At Ace Hardware, they lied to him by saying they called him but he never answered. I checked phone records. Another convenient lie.

I keep telling him to keep at it. He's not looking for a handout. There are plenty of jobs for people who can't carry a 50 lb sack of dog food or stay on their feet for more than an hour at a time without rest (like most of the desk jockeys I work with).

Amazingly, we never thought that sports, perhaps the most discriminatory of all human endeavors based on physical prowess, would be the place where he would be the most accepted.
94chem,
That, sir, was the greatest post in the history of TexAgs. I salute you. -- Dough
Sea Speed
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AG
Dude I am pissed af for you. That is infuriating about ace but CFA especially. I would have blasted that to corporate to shove it up those peoples asses. Not to get him the job, but to teach those people a thing or two. Have you ever told a lie? So either you lie to their face or tell the truth, either way you are hosed. What a crock of complete *****
94chem
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Thanks, I started this thread because in this city with 7 million people, I wanted everyone to know about the opportunities for disabled athletes, and the work that TIRR does to support them.

This thread also helps draw attention to people with with disabilities and their needs. It's amazing to think that ADA just became law 33 years ago, and that my son is here because China doesn't offer protections like this. When he was 7 years old, the schools wouldn't let him enroll because they were afraid he'd fall and hurt himself. Imagine a US school denying an education because a child had difficulty walking.
94chem,
That, sir, was the greatest post in the history of TexAgs. I salute you. -- Dough
maroon barchetta
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Agreed.

I would go Volcano Karen on all social media platforms in this instance.

It looks like a case of "this kid will be more difficult to employ than the usual snowflakes we hire".

They need to be called out. CFA and ACE.
Ferris Wheel Allstar
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AG
TIRR is the only reason I'm able to walk. I learned about Hot Wheels when I was there, didn't realize how much it has grown since I was there 23 years ago.

I think I remember seeing that Y'all live in Kingwood, am I remembering that right?
94chem
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Yes, that's correct. And thanks for sharing about TIRR. TCH is the reason my son can walk. TIRR is the reason he can play sports.
94chem,
That, sir, was the greatest post in the history of TexAgs. I salute you. -- Dough
Ferris Wheel Allstar
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AG
I will reach out to the people I graduated with from KHS that have companies out there for you.
maroon barchetta
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94chem
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Ferris Wheel Allstar said:

I will reach out to the people I graduated with from KHS that have companies out there for you.
I appreciate that. I feel like there was divine intervention for the timing of my original post.

On Saturday morning my son was headed downstairs to watch the A&M game with me, and we heard this horrible crash that sounded like someone throwing furniture down the stairs. One of my other boys was there, and he saw him hit at the bottom, with his head slamming into the tile at full speed after falling the entire staircase.

We got him to move his limbs, got him upright, and moved him to a chair. I was worried he would lose consciousness. He was about 75% there. He could do math problems, and he remembered that he liked the Rangers and Aggies, but couldn't remember what day of the week it was or who we were playing. That, and the violence of the fall, caused me to take him to the ER immediately. They took him to CT scan immediately, and found a small brain bleed. This triggered a transfer to TCH, in case they needed a neurosurgeon.

He's been at TCH since Saturday afternoon with pretty intense head pain and back pain, but he seems to have stabilized, and amazingly they didn't find any broken bones. They can't release him until his nausea passes, which could be a while. They're doing more scans this morning, but I'm hopeful that's just lingering trauma and emerging soreness. Nausea can be tough to kick for lots of people once it sets in.

I was talking to church people over the weekend, and any of my posts on here were from a sofa near his bed. I'm praying he can come home today and begin recovery with no serious injuries, but he'll have some PT and pain ahead of him. He's been through a lot. He was an inpatient at TCH for 2 months almost 5 years ago following neurosurgery, and I know my wife and I have trauma going there, so it must be tough for him too.

FYI, he's been navigating stairs the entire 10 years since his adoption; he just tripped over his own feet this time. It could have happened to anyone, but in his case, once things start going sideways, it's harder to regain balance, grab the rail, etc. He took the full force of the fall, and probably should be gone. I am thankful that he isn't.

I suppose someone could say in their heart, "Aha, I knew he was injury-prone, and a liability to employers, schools, etc." I mean, after all, he did have a serious injury once in 10 years. But wisdom informs us to look at this from the other side. We're all only a moment away from needing the help of others. One missed stop sign, one misplaced pet under our feet, one case of macular degeneration, one micro-organism, one case of getting old, etc.

When you improve access for the disabled, you're not just doing your moral duty (which you are!), or giving some good to another person (which you are!); you are truly making the world better by valuing people's gifts while you acknowledge their limitations. And it's not just Stephen Hawking, Ronnie Milsap, or Greg Abbott, etc.; even disabled no-talents (like most of us) deserve access to society.
94chem,
That, sir, was the greatest post in the history of TexAgs. I salute you. -- Dough
Ferris Wheel Allstar
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AG
thank God he is ok.

Quote:

I suppose someone could say in their heart, "Aha, I knew he was injury-prone
While I know this is a separate situation, but I fall too. It happens, nothing to shy away from or be embarrassed by.
Sea Speed
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Ferris Wheel Allstar said:

thank God he is ok.

Quote:

I suppose someone could say in their heart, "Aha, I knew he was injury-prone
While I know this is a separate situation, but I fall too. It happens, nothing to shy away from or be embarrassed by.

I dont have any disability and I eat **** all the time. Anyone saying that they never trip, slip or fall is full of it.

OP, I know it isn't the same thing, but the bagger at my local grocery store has downs and has worked there for years and years. Great guy and is always incredibly friendly. Has he looked in to something like that?
94chem
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Sea Speed said:

Ferris Wheel Allstar said:

thank God he is ok.

Quote:

I suppose someone could say in their heart, "Aha, I knew he was injury-prone
While I know this is a separate situation, but I fall too. It happens, nothing to shy away from or be embarrassed by.

I dont have any disability and I eat **** all the time. Anyone saying that they never trip, slip or fall is full of it.

OP, I know it isn't the same thing, but the bagger at my local grocery store has downs and has worked there for years and years. Great guy and is always incredibly friendly. Has he looked in to something like that?
That's a really good question. A lot of the resources out there are for people with intellectual disabilities. When my son's neurosurgeon first met him, even he thought he was intellectually disabled. That's right - a neurosurgeon made an assumption about him, and seemed visibly surprised when my boy started reciting Cowboys' stats, talking about his schoolwork, or his fantasy baseball team. (Side note: It sucked when I explained to him what it meant when Yuli Gurriel made a racist gesture toward Yu Darvish - my son is Chinese. Some times you wish your kids knew less...).

Anyway, he could possibly go that route, but he really wanted to land something that didn't require a job coach; he views that as a form of bigotry, and when he had a job coach last summer, the guy just looked at his phone all day and did nothing except force my son to sign the coach's time sheets. It pissed him off royally; only one of them actually put in a day's work, and it wasn't the coach. I let Texas Workforce know what was going on, but the damage was done; my boy doesn't want to be put in a position where his intellectual abilities are questioned on a daily basis, especially by people who provide no advocacy or help. We had the conversation about how it's okay to use any advantage you have, as long as you don't do immoral things (I need not elaborate), but he wanted to do it on his own; I respect that and understand it.
94chem,
That, sir, was the greatest post in the history of TexAgs. I salute you. -- Dough
94chem
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Ferris Wheel Allstar said:

thank God he is ok.

Quote:

I suppose someone could say in their heart, "Aha, I knew he was injury-prone
While I know this is a separate situation, but I fall too. It happens, nothing to shy away from or be embarrassed by.
Yeah, I know. We are thankful. A mother on his team was sharing with me the other night how her HOA was refusing to put in sidewalks because they they didn't have any disabled people in the neighborhood. Said it right in front of this mother with a disabled teenager.

On top of that, the dude who said it had self-inflicted morbid obesity, and is mere millimeters from being disabled himself.

This mom starts her morning dealing with somebody double-parked in the handi-capped spaces in the school drop-off line, and ends it listening to this clown on the HOA.

94chem,
That, sir, was the greatest post in the history of TexAgs. I salute you. -- Dough
94chem
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Also, if you have never read Gene Stallings' book, Another Season, I highly recommend it. John Mark died in 2008...can't believe it was that long ago.
94chem,
That, sir, was the greatest post in the history of TexAgs. I salute you. -- Dough
94chem
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What a week...it's been a long 5 days at TCH, the details of which I won't share here. We were hoping to get out by Sunday, but concussions are a nasty beast sometimes. We've had the wildcard series on, but you know a guy is in pain when he's stuck in bed and still can't watch baseball. And now the news...that he's probably gonna miss the whole basketball season. In a sport where you routinely tip over, the risk of another concussion is too high. Well, that is the suck, but even seeing him cry is a gift at this point.

Well, this wasn't how I expected this thread to go, but even when he was in extreme pain and asked me if he was gonna be okay, I asked him if he knew who is in control, and he said "God." Houston, he's right, you know.
94chem,
That, sir, was the greatest post in the history of TexAgs. I salute you. -- Dough
maroon barchetta
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I'm glad he's on the mend but sad he's gonna miss the season. But whatever must be done to protect his health.
Ferris Wheel Allstar
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AG
94chem said:

What a week...it's been a long 5 days at TCH, the details of which I won't share here. We were hoping to get out by Sunday, but concussions are a nasty beast sometimes. We've had the wildcard series on, but you know a guy is in pain when he's stuck in bed and still can't watch baseball. And now the news...that he's probably gonna miss the whole basketball season. In a sport where you routinely tip over, the risk of another concussion is too high. Well, that is the suck, but even seeing him cry is a gift at this point.

Well, this wasn't how I expected this thread to go, but even when he was in extreme pain and asked me if he was gonna be okay, I asked him if he knew who is in control, and he said "God." Houston, he's right, you know.

I imagine this is therapeutic for you to post here. Your son has an amazing outlook. while it is devastating for him to miss this season, he will have something to appreciate once he does get back on the court. I pray his pain ends and yall get out soon.

Would you be interested in tickets for the Mississippi state game tickets? I have 2 accessible seats & 2 regular seats that I will not be using.
Thunder18
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94chem said:

What a week...it's been a long 5 days at TCH, the details of which I won't share here. We were hoping to get out by Sunday, but concussions are a nasty beast sometimes. We've had the wildcard series on, but you know a guy is in pain when he's stuck in bed and still can't watch baseball. And now the news...that he's probably gonna miss the whole basketball season. In a sport where you routinely tip over, the risk of another concussion is too high. Well, that is the suck, but even seeing him cry is a gift at this point.

Well, this wasn't how I expected this thread to go, but even when he was in extreme pain and asked me if he was gonna be okay, I asked him if he knew who is in control, and he said "God." Houston, he's right, you know.


Could he wear a helmet and still play this season? Hate that your kid and family are dealing with this. Hope things turn around for y'all soon
texasaggie2015
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AG
OP- what part of Houston are you guys in? I can see if I have any connections that are looking for a new hire
94chem
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Ferris Wheel Allstar said:

94chem said:

What a week...it's been a long 5 days at TCH, the details of which I won't share here. We were hoping to get out by Sunday, but concussions are a nasty beast sometimes. We've had the wildcard series on, but you know a guy is in pain when he's stuck in bed and still can't watch baseball. And now the news...that he's probably gonna miss the whole basketball season. In a sport where you routinely tip over, the risk of another concussion is too high. Well, that is the suck, but even seeing him cry is a gift at this point.

Well, this wasn't how I expected this thread to go, but even when he was in extreme pain and asked me if he was gonna be okay, I asked him if he knew who is in control, and he said "God." Houston, he's right, you know.

I imagine this is therapeutic for you to post here. Your son has an amazing outlook. while it is devastating for him to miss this season, he will have something to appreciate once he does get back on the court. I pray his pain ends and yall get out soon.

Would you be interested in tickets for the Mississippi state game tickets? I have 2 accessible seats & 2 regular seats that I will not be using.
Thank you for that kind offer. I would take you up on it...except that in July, I purchased 3 tickets to the game. I had a streak that went back to sometime in the mid-1980's of attending at least one game per season, including all 24 home games as a student when we went 23-0-1. That streak ended about 2019 during another busy run of medical stuff.

This year I was gonna take this boy and one of his brothers to the MSU game. Our normal routine is to park somewhere in Southgate and trek to the stadium pushing a wheelchair. He walks okay, just slowly and not for miles at a time. Hopefully the post-concussion stuff clears up and he can do that again. I guess I'm more concerned about durability than accessibility at this point.

Again, I appreciate your thoughtfulness.

94chem,
That, sir, was the greatest post in the history of TexAgs. I salute you. -- Dough
94chem
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Just getting him working out again will be a while. As for the helmet, he may be wearing one anyway if/when he does get back. I've got a fair amount of education, but I'm prolly gonna let the neurologists and neurosurgeons take the lead on this one.
94chem,
That, sir, was the greatest post in the history of TexAgs. I salute you. -- Dough
94chem
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texasaggie2015 said:

OP- what part of Houston are you guys in? I can see if I have any connections that are looking for a new hire
Kingwood. Thank you.

I figure we're looking at January-ish, though, given the week's events.
94chem,
That, sir, was the greatest post in the history of TexAgs. I salute you. -- Dough
texasaggie2015
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AG
I also recommend posting over on the job board. There's lots of good folks over there with lots of connections. I have no doubt somebody will find something.
94chem
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Update:

I appreciate everyone's kind words, thoughts, and prayers. My son came home on Monday, and seems to be getting back to his old self. There's lingering head pain, but he should be able to return to school soon. No wheelchair basketball for several months, but hopefully he can begin working out on his own soon.

Back to the original post: if you know any disabled middle school or high school kids around Houston, let them know about the Houston Hotwheels. Again, my thanks and appreciation goes out to TIRR for sponsoring the team, and to TCH for helping my son get better. I've said many times that Houston is a great place to be sick.
94chem,
That, sir, was the greatest post in the history of TexAgs. I salute you. -- Dough
94chem
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All:
I'm bumping this thread because there was some conversation about my son's job hunt. He's struck out at several more places. One well-meaning friend even said he'd love to hire a disabled person, but his business needs to be doing better first. There's only so much SMH I can do; people just don't get it. He's a HS junior taking Algebra 2...a normal kid who walks slowly. One of his teachers called me the other day and said he is indomitable. His track coach tells the other kids that they should work as hard as my kid! He's not an anchor; he's an asset. He can't load 50 lb bags of mulch on a flatbed or wait tables, but the other 75% of jobs he'll be just fine.

Ok, mini rant over. Now that his concussion has healed, does anyone know of anything in Kingwood? We live near KHS.

MANY THANKS FOR LEADS.
94chem,
That, sir, was the greatest post in the history of TexAgs. I salute you. -- Dough
TXAggie2011
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AG
Is a PT from TIRR named Marcie still involved with the Houston Hotwheels?
texasaggie2015
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AG
94chem, do the Houston Hotwheels ever need volunteers?
94chem
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TXAggie2011 said:

Is a PT from TIRR named Marcie still involved with the Houston Hotwheels?


Yes.
94chem,
That, sir, was the greatest post in the history of TexAgs. I salute you. -- Dough
94chem
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texasaggie2015 said:

94chem, do the Houston Hotwheels ever need volunteers?


I don't know, but Peggy Turner at TIRR would be the person to contact.
94chem,
That, sir, was the greatest post in the history of TexAgs. I salute you. -- Dough
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