Turning Adversity to Triumph
Hello my name is Thomas Exler, from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
Climbing the stairs at a waterfall in Iceland in May of 2011
For many years now, I have had been given a great opportunity to meet so many amazing people from all over the world, not in spite of, but because I was born with a rare birth defect called bladder exstrophy. My life has had numerous blessings because of it, and on the whole the blessings have gratefully outweighed all the negatives I have had to personally endure
http://uromed.wordpress.com/2012/01/30/i-will-work-and-find-the-courage-to-shine/ From UroMed Hometown Heroes – Originally posted on January 30, 2012 For the first year or two of Courage to Shine’s existence, our main goal is to reach out to people with urinary defects. We’ll also have articles about other types of challenges and the people who have had these problems and still have achieved great things…
http://uromed.wordpress.com/2012/01/28/no-mountain-is-too-high-to-climb-when-you-have-courage/ From UroMed Hometown Heroes – Originally posted on January 28, 2012 Courage to Shine was created to help people who have medical challenges see that the only walls between where we are, and where we want to go, are the walls we put up. Once, I heard a speaker say, “When I became paralyzed, I didn’t spend…
http://uromed.wordpress.com/2012/01/27/a-you-can-attitude-helps-children-with-disabilities-find-the-courage-to-shine/ From UroMed Hometown Heroes – Originally posted on January 27, 2012 When parents learn that their children have a medical issue like bladder exstrophy, often their dreams for those children cease, and the parents suffer along with the children. However, on the front page of the Courage to Shine website, we can show parents what their children…
http://uromed.wordpress.com/2012/01/26/the-great-possibilities-in-life-for-people-with-disabilities-who-find-the-courage-to-shine/ From UroMed Hometown Heroes – Originally posted on January 26, 2012 Exler: Courage to Shine, a new project we created, was originally created to be an awards program to honor outstanding people, especially those with bladder exstrophy. We wanted to honor accomplishments in society and in the greater world. As we developed the idea, we thought that a better…
http://uromed.wordpress.com/2012/01/25/courage-is-the-key-to-overcome-fear-with-thomas-exler/ From UroMed Hometown Heroes – Originally posted on January 25, 2012 I’m often asked, “Why is a support group so important for an individual who has a physical challenge to overcome?” The only way to get courage is to face your fears and overcome them. The benefits of courage are success, happiness and bravery. Most people run away from fear….
http://uromed.wordpress.com/2011/12/09/jamie-holmes-founded-jamies-dream-team-to-help-others/ UroMed Hometown Hero – Jamie Holmes Part 3 From the time I was very young, I knew I wanted to start a non-profit organization to help others. That’s why once I graduated from high school, I started Jamie’s Dream Team. I contacted an attorney my family knew, and she filed the paperwork to create Jamie’s…
http://uromed.wordpress.com/2011/12/07/a-life-changing-decision-jamie-holmes-decides-christmas-is-about-giving-not-receiving/ UroMed Hometown Hero – Jamie Holmes Part 2 – Originally Posted DECEMBER 7, 2011 Right before I was 15-years old, I went in for another surgery. My sister always would stay with me in the hospital before my operations. This time there was a little girl in the room with me who needed a heart transplant. Her…
Part 1 – “A Life of Long Odds” Part 2 – “A Life of Long Odds” Editor’s Note: This is the final part of a 3 part series by James Cole – A Life of Long Odds – and we at Courage to Shine would like to thank James for showing the courage to help inspire us and…
Part 1 – “A Life of Long Odds “A LIFE OF LONG ODDS” Part 2 of 3 By James Cole After moving to Cape Cod and starting a new life, I felt reborn. I had many new friends, a renewed passion for my filmmaking, art, and even acting – participating in two high school…
Editor’s Note from Thomas Exler: I first met Megg Rose in 1996 in Boulder, Colorado while attending a medical based camp program, and over the years we have continued to stay in touch, and no matter if she was shooting a TV Movie or competing in pageants, or raising her family. If you wanted to…
Editor’s Note from Thomas Exler: I first met Megg Rose in 1996 in Boulder, Colorado while attending a medical based camp program, and over the years we have continued to stay in touch, and no matter if she was shooting a TV Movie or competing in pageants, or raising her family. If you wanted to…
Courage to Shine™ 