Life started out pretty good as a little kid until the age of nine my leg started to hurt, and I went into the doctors and the doctor told me I would never walk again. I developed a rear hip disease where the hip bone would deteriorate in the socket. I was put in crutches and leg braces that made me look like I was riding a horse. I was confined to those leg braces on crutches for over a year and got bullied and made fun of on a daily basis. I then had a surgery was put into a body cast for two months, and then was on crutches for another six months after that rehabilitating my leg that now looks like a twig. My hip grew back deformed and I had very little mobility and range of motion. All I wanted to do was be normal but every day I was playing with severe leg pain and discomfort if I tried to run or do any activities. This develop the victims mentality of God punishing me or letting bad things happened to me when I didn’t deserve it. It was me against the world. I hated who I saw in the mirror I hated everything about my life I only slept a few hours every day and battled my inner thoughts just as much as I’ve battled my physical pain. I met a very good teacher in high school the planted the seed to help me change but he was killed in a car crash the very same year I met him, followed by a few other events, which spiraled my victims mentality even worse.
I just wanted to be normal but I felt like I was alone on an island trapped by the demons of my inner thoughts I wanted to prove the world wrong about me, so I went into the Navy recruiting office and got a buds contract.
Going through the training I steered me towards not having a victims mentality for a warriors, but through that process I begin to idolize myself and put myself and my boys before God. After the static line accident I hit rock bottom was told I couldn’t be an operator when that’s all I wanted to do. I even cried out to God before I went in and talk to the surgeon I surrendered my life to Jesus right then and there after battling so many years I finally figured out that I just needed to follow him and to stop thinking about myself . After that the burden was lifted I got back with the platoon and was able to serve. I wasn’t the best far from it but I got to see my heroes and more importantly I found my soul. Now I want to pay it back give to others help them know what they’re capable of, and to give them hope when they have none. I pray that I can help others who are struggling to help them find their purpose. I love you guys. Patrick