Kylee Hunter Morgan – You Can Call Me “Smiley Kylee”


You Can Call Me “Smiley Kylee”  By Kylee Hunter You know your life will be interesting when one of the first words out of the doctor’s mouth at your birth is, “I think that’s a bladder”. My name is Kylee Hunter, I’m almost 18, and I was born with bladder exstrophy, a rare birth defect that…

2016 Courage To Shine ™ – Brittney Freeman – July 9 2016


Read more about: Brittney Freeman – Teaching Others To Shine!!  Click Here 2016 Courage to Shine™ Lisha Martinez & Adam Young Award . Brittney Freeman was presented with the 2016 Courage to Shine™ Lisha Marttinez & Adam Young Award on Saturday July 9 2016. Read more about: Brittney Freeman – Teaching Others To Shine!!  Click Here Brittney Nichole Freeman is…

Kiersten Kelly – An Angel’s voice overcoming adversity – Part 1 of 2


Editor’s Note: I (Thomas Exler) had the pleasure of meeting Kiersten Kelly at a fundraiser for Jamie’s Dream Team on March 23, 2013, and I was so impressed with her, not only the way she presented herself, but also in her vocal talent, so please sit back and enjoy this amazing story from an international YouTube sensation…

Joanna Burgess–Joy’s Way–A Journey of Survival, Hope and Inspiration – Reposted June 9 2012


Editor’s Note: In honor of Joanna Burgess being honored tonight (June 9, 2012) in Charlotte, North Carolina as this year’s  Great Comebacks® National Award recipient, we at Courage to Shine would like to re-post her original story “Joy’s Way – A Journey of Survival, Hope and Inspiration” Originally Published on March 24, 2012:  Courage to Shine™ is honored to present the original story of…

Misty Blue Foster & Jamie Holmes Featured in eBook Honoring the Best of UroMed Hometown Heroes


Misty Blue Foster and Jamie Holmes, two of Courage to Shine Role Models of the Month, have had their stories published by UroMed Hometown Heroes Blogg converted along with 14 others into eBook: Courage: Stories of Hometown Heroes which can be purchased on Amazon.com at  http://www.amazon.com/Courage-Stories-Hometown-Heroes-ebook/dp/B007WU2RX4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335785891&sr=8-1 UroMed Launches E-book on Hometown Heroes Overcoming Disabilities MAY 2, 2012 LEAVE A…

ENRIQUE ESCAJADA – Courage To Shine™ – Role Model of the Month for March 2012


Enrique Escajeda of California has been named the March 2012 – Courage to Shine – Role Model of the Month. In his honor we have reprinted his story below from January 26, 2012 ———————————————————————– Enrique Escajada – Aerialist Overcomes Adversity to Fly Published on January 26, 2012 Aerialist Overcomes Adversity to Fly by Enrique Escajeda Hello,…

Joanna Burgess – Joy’s Way – A Journey of Survival, Hope and Inspiration


Editor’s Note: Courage to Shine™ is honored to present the original story of Joanna Burgess’s amazing and inspirational life.  Joanna originally submitted the following story to be published in a major national magazine, but the magazine elected not to publish it, however their loss is Courage to Shine’s gain.  Joanna Burgess is a nurse, a cancer survivor, a wife and…

A “You Can” Attitude Helps Children with Disabilities Find the Courage to Shine


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…

Life’s Great Possibilities Await For People With Disabilities Who Find The Courage To Shine


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…

Courage Is The Key To Overcome Fear With Thomas Exler


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….