Willie Burton was born a fighter. Entering the world two months prematurely and weighing two-and-a-half pounds, the tiny child with cerebral palsy and a crack cocaine addiction was not exactly the perfect baby his adoptive parents, Brenda and Larry Burton, had in mind. Suddenly, they envisioned a future filled with hardships for him and self-sacrifice for themselves. Trusting in God's provident care, they took their child home, and resolved to give him a better life than the odds suggested.

 

Supported by Brenda's love and encouragement through years of hospitalizations and physical therapy, Willie tackled every challenge from his seat in a wheelchair. The teen faced the ultimate test, though, when his determination to earn a place on his high school's wrestling team put everything on the line; with little lower body strength and minimal upper body strength on his left side, Willie relied on his faith in God to help him prove that life would not pin him to the mat!