You are Invited!!! 5/25/14

“Just like Superman, you are made of steel!  No doubt about it, that’s the way we feel!"

- From the musical “44”

We would like to invite you to a very special event!  With help from his music therapist Tom Sweitzer, Forrest has written a musical telling his story.  “44” makes its debut this Sunday, June 1^st at 2:00 at The Hill School in Middleburg.  Forrest and a group of talented performers from A Place To Be will perform a staged reading of the show which includes six original songs written by Forrest and Tom.   If you are in the area, you do not want to miss this 25 minute amazing show!  There will also be a sneak preview of the Documentary Film "High Notes" trailer featuring Forrest's journey and others touched through the power of Music Therapy at A Place To Be.

Also among the exciting upcoming events is….Forrest's GRADUATION!  Forrest would like to invite all of you, his faithful supporters to attend the Kettle Run High School graduation ceremony on Friday, June 6^th at 6:00 - 7:00pm at Kettle Run in Nokesville, VA.  And Toliver has permission to walk with Forrest to receive his diploma! The ceremony is scheduled to be outside, in the football stadium, weather permitting.   If rain is in the forecast, the ceremony will likely be moved indoors and unfortunately, there will only be space for family members.  We might not know until the morning of the 6th, but we will update the blog as soon as we know if it is outside or not and if so, we would love to have a big Team Forrest cheering section to help celebrate this monumental occasion!  Pray for sun!

Forrest Receives Principal's Award 5/18/14

Today Forrest was honored by Kettle Run High School Principal, Major Warner, with the First Ever Principal's Award for Courage, Character, and Citizenship.  Forrest has been blessed throughout his life with wonderful, inspiring, and dedicated teachers. Each of Forrest's teachers have challenged him to be his best, shaping his character as he grew.  The courage he has mustered day after day as he battles to regain his strength, his independence and his life leaves us in awe. As he regains his life, he is drawn to share his story with others, and hopefully through the act of sharing his journey, he will bring hope, encouraging those struggling to overcome their own obstacles to never give up.  Today Major Warner told those gathered for the Senior Awards Program, "For Forrest, quitting was never an option.  There is much for us to learn from his tenacity and resiliency, his character and commitment to being the best person he can be." When Forrest, accompanied by his faithful friend Toliver, went up on stage to accept his gold medal proclaiming him to be the Champion we all know and love, he received a rousing round of applause and a standing ovation! Forrest was completely unaware that he was getting this award, and his surprise and evident joy added to the magic of the moment.  Here is the YouTube link of Major Warner presenting this special and final award of the ceremony to Forrest:  http://youtu.be/SczdOWVHOOY

Grateful for this blessed day,

Mum & Pops

Forrest, Toliver and KRHS Principal Major Warner

Showing off his medal!

Kettle Run and Gold Cup 5/8/14

Last week was a great week! Mom and I took Forrest to Kettle Run High School to talk about logistics for his upcoming graduation. While there Forrest also took part in an English class with some great students, said hi to past teachers and classmates, and participated in Senior's mock-interview day.

I sat in the back of the room as Forrest did his mock interview with a principal from a nearby middleschool. Forrest rocked it. He had great composure, articulated himself well, and enthusiastically talked about his goals of going to college and becoming a veterinarian. He answered some tough questions, and by the end of the 15 minute interview he was asked "how do you interview so well?" Forrest replied, "I think of the interviewer as already being a great friend." The interviewer said he'd have to pass along that great advice to his kids!

After all that work, we were ready for the best day of the year.. Gold Cup. The rain cleared and it was a glorious day with our 50,000 closest friends!

Love from Austin, Forrest, Mom and Dad

Soaking in the sun at the Gold Cup races!

The most popular people at Gold Cup!

Forrest, Nick, and Toliver making the rounds