Pasan Nanayakkara
As we go through life, we hear stories of people overcoming incredible odds to achieve something amazing. Some may call it luck, others call it determination, and some call it a miracle. But for 17-year-old Brandon Neal, it was a combination of all three.
Brandon had faced developmental issues his entire life. He was born underweight and had jaundice, and was behind on his development. He had a vision condition that required five eye surgeries, and walked with an abnormal gait. His many problems were caused by a genetic gene mutation.
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Doctors later found that he had scoliosis and a misplaced hip, and they were advised to have corrective surgery on his hip. While doctors thought he would be walking again within six months, Brandon was confined to a wheelchair, unable to walk and growing increasingly anxious and depressed.
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In 2019, Brandon’s parents were planning to buy him a new wheelchair — but Brandon had other plans: he was determined to start walking again. That’s when they heard about Special Strong, a fitness program specially designed for people with special needs, like autism, Down syndrome and cerebral palsy. They decided to give it a chance.
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Brandon began working with Daniel Stein, the owner of Special Strong, who worked with him to regain his strength and begin walking again. It wasn’t an easy process: Brandon was scared of many of the new exercises. But Daniel pushed him to overcome his doubts and fears. The program had the teen move gradually out of his wheelchair, moving on to a walker and arm crutches.
In their fifth session together, Brandon had a breakthrough: he started taking steps on his own, without his walker. It was the first time he had walked on his own in eight years. A few weeks later, that moment arrived: Daniel told Brandon that this was the day he was going to walk, and the teen replied “I’m ready.” The two went outside, and with the camera rolling, Brandon did something incredible: he walked on his own.
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After taking his first steps, Brandon says it’s his dream to one day walk again — and in another video shared just days later, he’s already doing a light jog on the treadmill. Congrats to Brandon on making such amazing progress, conquering his fears and learning to walk on his own again!
Special Strong is an amazing program that helps people with special needs to achieve their goals, just like Brandon. It’s not just about physical fitness, but also about overcoming fears, self-doubt and self-limiting thoughts. It’s about conquering oneself and achieving the impossible. Share this inspiring story and help others to see that miracles do happen.
