Shaken

Garrett Leopold is an American youth who needed a heart transplant as a teenager. Leopold received the heart of a teenage girl, Amanda, who died in a car accident. He and Amanda’s mother both felt that something positive had come from the tragedy of Amanda’s death. Leopold said, “I feel really humbled and honored, also blessed, to say I received the gift of life through Amanda’s heart. God has been good” (97). Tebow met Leopold through his W15H foundation program and was inspired by his story. He recalls that Leopold was a “sweet kid, shy but full of life” (95). Tebow uses Leopold’s story of hope and recovery in his discussion about embracing God’s plan and working toward positive outcomes in challenging situations.

Mark Stuart was the lead singer in the Grammy-winning American band Audio Adrenaline, best known for their Christian rock songs. While still a professional singer, Stuart’s voice began failing, and he was eventually diagnosed with spasmodic dysphonia, a disorder that causes muscle spasms in the voice box. Unable to sing professionally, Stuart was forced to leave the band after a nearly two-decade career. However, he found a new purpose by establishing the Hands and Feet Project, which serves Haiti’s orphaned children. Tebow uses Stuart as an example of someone who was able to lean on their faith to recover from loss and disappointment and redirect their energy into helping others.

Robyn is an American youth who suffers from cerebral palsy, a neurological disorder that impedes mobility. Tebow describes how he met Robyn at a celebrity golf charity event and was impressed by her patience and friendly demeanor. Tebow decided to gift Robyn a special day with her family as a part of the W15H program. In getting to know Robyn better, Tebow learned that she felt self-conscious about her disability and using her walker. Tebow encouraged her to not compare herself to others or strive for normalcy. He recalls, “The constant stares at her walker reminded her in a painful way that she wasn’t normal. I was heartbroken that over the course of her life Robyn had to listen to some people, some directly and some through offhanded comments, tell her she wasn’t special” (127). He uses this anecdote to persuade the reader that everyone should embrace their uniqueness as a part of God’s will for their lives and celebrate and use the gifts that they have.

Sherwin is a Filipino youth whom Tebow met when he visited a rural village in the Philippines at the age of 15. Tebow was dismayed to learn that Sherwin’s school principal had encouraged him to stay inside so he and his disability would be less visible to the American visitors. Thanks to Sherwin’s friends, Tebow met Sherwin anyway and was inspired by his positivity as well as his friend’s loyalty. Tebow’s anecdote about Sherwin emphasizes the importance of friendship and the connection between friendship and faith. The author points to Sherwin’s friends as role models for the reader, emphasizing how they comforted their friend and kept him from being lonely and excluded. This story is also significant as Tebow’s experience with Sherwin is part of what motivated him to begin his foundation to help kids like Sherwin who have been marginalized because of their disabilities.