You may remember Carmen Garner, he used his stimulus check to start Inner City Anglers, a non-profit that takes inner-city kids fishing. 

Carmen had a lot of adversity to overcome as a child, living in a neighborhood with a lot of crime and gunfire.  He told how his mother died of AIDS and how he passed through 17 relatives’ homes before graduating high school.  He said, “I promised myself that I would always be a mentor, an advocate, and a champion for change in the lives of young people. The Inner City Anglers represents the fulfillment of my life’s purpose.”

Unfortunately, Carmen suffered a massive stroke and was partially paralyzed.  I spoke with him a few months after and he was amazingly positive and determined to put everything he had into getting better and told me it was important that he be a good role model for his sons and the other kids who looked up to him, to show you can stay positive even in the face of terrible adversity.

I followed up with him recently and this is what he said:

“I have been training to walk across the Edmund Pettus bridge without a cane.  I’ve already walked 1/2  a mile with a cane and 1/4  mile without a cane. Greatest Comeback Ever.”

A friend started a Go Fund Me page as the family is struggling with finances for rehab and therapy, so I wanted to help spread the word. 

In spite of all that Carmen has gone through, he continues to think of others and tries to have a positive impact on those around him.  We are keeping him in our thoughts and hoping every day he gets a little better.

PS – I try to only send two posts a month, but this was important and needed to be shared.

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