Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 118459 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 592(@200wpm)___ 474(@250wpm)___ 395(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 118459 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 592(@200wpm)___ 474(@250wpm)___ 395(@300wpm)
He’s so handsome. He smiles at the crowd and it takes my breath away. If you just saw him standing there, you’d never know he was almost completely paralyzed. You’d never know he spent weeks in the hospital, unable to move at all. You’d never know the fight he made to get his legs working again. You’d never see the struggle that it still is every morning, when his body is tight and he has to force himself out of bed. But he does it. And he never complains. He just says he’d do it all over again because it saved Everleigh. The money he won from the fight by beating Hunter Davidson got our daughter into the therapy that destroyed the cancer in her little body.
“I want to thank you all for coming.” He looks around the room, taking in the supporters, media, mentors and guests. Finally, his gaze rests on me. “Today is the anniversary of my brother, Gage’s, death and it seemed like a fitting day to open the for-EVER en-GAGE Foundation. It’s the brainstorm of my wife, Julia, and is in memory of my brother and in celebration of our daughter, Everleigh.”
He shifts his weight and I know he’s hurting. But he’s going to say what he has to say. He won’t let the pain stop him.
“Our goal is to engage the bodies and minds of the kids of Boston, kids like my brother and me growing up. We’ll give them opportunities to see what they’re capable of, to develop their interests and talents, and give them a place to go instead of the alleyways of the city.” He sighs.
“One key area we want to focus on is community involvement. It’s our goal to show the youth that they are a part of a larger collective, that they can and should make a difference in our communities and to those that are less fortunate.”
He glances down at Ever and pauses. “We’ll raise funds through our Red Slipper Initiative to support families that are going through medical emergencies. We’ll raise money for research for many causes, but especially neuroblastoma, a cause close to our hearts.”
His voice begins to break.
“No matter what the kids that come into our building have been through, no matter what they’ve already done, they’ll get another chance. I’m a firm believer in second chances.” He smiles.
“Getting this foundation up and running is not going to be easy. But I’ll tell you something that I know from personal experience. When things seem unbeatable, you have to keep pressing forward. Because no matter how bad they look, you can always win. You always have the power. You just have to realize it.”
Crew glances at Ever. She’s smiling adoringly at her dad, nodding her approval of him using a reference to their favorite movie. He beams and I’ve never felt more blessed.
“The best things in life don’t come easy, but those things are the ones worth the sacrifice. This is something I can promise you. And this foundation is worth all of our time and energy.”
I grab my daughter’s hand and squeeze it, my heart bursting with so much gratitude. I watch my husband’s lips turn up, the corners touching his sparkling blue eyes.
“I love you,” I whisper. I know he reads my lips because his face lights up. He winks and knocks gently against the podium four times.
Crew Gentry has been my prince this whole time after all.