Since he was a boy, my brother Mike Weston has been a character. Getting into mischief and being a comedian. On occasion, he’d become a Power Ranger, jumping out of windows, and getting himself into trouble. His mischievousness and sense of humor followed him into adulthood.
If you’ve met him you know he’s one of a kind. He is described as being cut from a different cloth. He’s known for pushing himself in everything he does, whether in his career, or in his position as a father. or being an uplifting and supporting brother, son and friend.
His character hasn’t changed despite facing life’s most adverse challenges. On January 3rd, 2020 Mike was on his way to see his daughter. It was a rainy night and a few minutes into his drive, the water on the road caused his car to hydroplane and crash. During the crash, he sustained injuries that left him paralyzed from the waist down. It has been nearly three months since his accident, and now we are in the middle of experiencing a global pandemic.
Mike is currently staying at Louis Stokes VA medical center, and because of his location, he can’t receive any visitors for the time being. Despite these circumstances, he still finds ways to connect with others.
Throughout his recovery, he has been sure to take pictures and videos showing his improvement, reminding himself and others to 'stay in the pit'. His sense of humor still shines through, you can find him making jokes out of his situation to keep a light-hearted mood. I believe sometimes it’s solely to make others feel better.
When I asked how he’s dealing with everything going on, he said “I’m stuck here with a broken back. There are people here with the virus, and there are people here who sit in the hallway, sad."
"When I see them I roll by and tell them to pick their head up and tuck their chin in (because that’s what fighters do) and they just look at me with a big ole smile on their face and nod (yes). Then I smile back and get on my way outside."
"Most of my days consist of my trying to inspire someone else and help them see that it’s not that bad, it could be worse you know… I’m not even focused on the virus. Just gotta take it one day at a time virus, injury, whatever it is”.
His life has been a sort of quarantine since early January, and his way of getting through these moments keep me inspired. He stays connected through FaceTime and social media, utilizing the resources he does have to connect him to everyone he can’t see. Mike lives his life leading an example, we don’t have to spend our days focused on the negatives. Especially during this challenging time for everyone, we should take the time we have to uplift each other.
Everyone may be going through challenges that we have no way of knowing about, and it’s important to remember that kindness and a little humor can be healing. As his little sister, I’ll take the initiative first and hope to pass it on to you. So stay inside, try to take your mind off of the negatives around you and look forward to better days. It’s okay to find humor in our situation, after all, it’s been described as a healing balm.
~~ Mike Weston. Interviewed by Cheyenne Weston (Class of '24)
WE ARE ALL TRYING TO STAY BRAVE AND KEEP OUR CHINS UP AS MIKE ADVISES. SOME STUDENTS NEED YOUR HELP TO BE ABLE TO DO SO. PLEASE DONATE IF YOU CAN BY CLICKING ON THE BUTTON.
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