July 10
2025
The Trip
A Journey of Hope: The Resilience Road Trip for Disability Awareness
On July 10th, I embark on a profound journey across approximately 4500 miles, over 20 days, stopping in multiple towns. This isn't just a road trip; it's a mission to illuminate the true meaning of disability – both seen and unseen – and to challenge the pervasive misconceptions that often diminish the lives of millions.
This year marks the 250th anniversary of the start of our American Revolution that led to our independence. What better time to Remind people that the flight for independence is not over for us with disabilities we fight every day for equality inclusion and to a race the stigma that goes with being disabled.
My own disability is visible, a constant companion that shapes my daily experience. Yet, I recognize that countless friends, family members, and neighbors navigate the world with unseen disabilities, such as mental illness, which are no less impactful or important. Too often, those of us with disabilities are made to feel "less than." We face stares, children are pulled away, and the false notion that our conditions are "contagious" persists.
This journey is a direct counter-narrative to that prejudice. We are not "less," we are not "freaks," and we are certainly not "helpless." Instead, we are fighters. We are winners. We are individuals who overcome, modify, and adapt to a world not always built for us.
Through the miles, the towns, and the candid interviews with people I meet along the way, this trip will showcase our daily struggles and, more importantly, our triumphs. It will be a living testament to our resilience, ingenuity, and unwavering spirit.
My goal is simple yet powerful: to spread the word that being disabled doesn't mean you are disabled. It means you have learned to innovate, to adjust, and to thrive. It means understanding, unequivocally, that we are not second-class citizens. We are as vital, capable, and important as anyone else, deserving of respect, inclusion, and equal opportunity.
This trip will be documented on film for posting on social media platforms, and the possibility of a mini documentary.
Without your donations, this trip will not fully reach the base needed to drive this journey of film and social media over the top to be a winner.
Join me on this "Journey of Hope" as we drive home the message of dignity, strength, and unwavering human spirit. As always all donations go to supporting this trip no part of any donation goes to myself or support staff.
My Story
The reason for this trip
A Journey of Resilience
My journey began in December 2016 with multiple surgeries on my right leg. In 2020, due to a bone infection, I had it amputated below the knee. Surprisingly, the decision came with ease—I was optimistic and eager to move forward. While healing, I stayed busy building a deck, unwilling to sit still.
By April 2020, I received my prosthetic from Hanger and embraced it fully. Life picked up again—motorcycle rides, park visits with my granddaughter—it felt like a new beginning.
But in December 2023, I was hit with another blow: a bacterial infection in my left leg. Emergency surgery and another below-the-knee amputation followed. This time was harder. Even daily tasks felt overwhelming, and returning to work only deepened the emotional toll. I felt judged, different, and defeated.
In June 2024, I received new microprocessor feet from Össur. The technology was amazing, but my spirit was still struggling. That fall, my wife and I bought a fixer-upper. Unsure if I could handle it, I started remodeling anyway—walls, floors, cabinets—and along the way, I rediscovered my strength and love for life.
People began to notice. Strangers called me an inspiration, and stories reached me about others finding hope through my example. I never set out to inspire anyone—but maybe, just maybe, I can help someone believe that life is still worth living, even after immense loss.
To my wife and family: thank you for standing by me through the pain, doubt, and frustration. I love you more than words can say.
The Second Revolution: A Declaration of Independence for All
In 1775, a spark ignited in the hearts of ordinary people. Farmers, tradesmen, teachers, and dreamers rose up against an empire—not for conquest, but for liberty. They risked everything to proclaim that all people are created equal and are endowed with the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Two hundred and fifty years later, that revolution is not over.
In 2025, another fight for independence is underway—not on battlefields, but in hospitals, homes, workplaces, and public spaces. This time, it’s people with disabilities who are rising. They are not asking for pity or charity. They are demanding access, dignity, and the freedom to live fully.
Their tools are not muskets or cannons. They fight with prosthetic limbs, screen readers, wheelchairs, ramps, service animals, medication, and the unbreakable will to rise again after every fall.
Their battlefield is everywhere—on public transportation that remains inaccessible, in workplaces where bias still lingers, in schools that fail to accommodate, and in systems that still treat them as afterthoughts.
Like the revolutionaries of 1775, they are saying: We will not be defined by what we lack, but by the strength we bring.
There are heroes among them—those who learn to walk again after losing both legs, who build homes while crawling on the ground, who raise families and uplift strangers even while battling silent pain. These are the modern-day patriots. Not in powdered wigs, but in sweat-stained T-shirts, compression sleeves, and courage you can’t see until you look into their eyes.
And like the signers of the Declaration, they stand united—each unique in their struggle, but one in purpose. They are declaring that independence is not about perfection, but about the right to live life on your own terms.
In this 250th year of American independence, let us honor all who fight for freedom. Let us recognize that the revolution continues—not just in history books, but in every person who dares to demand more than survival. Who dares to thrive.
Because liberty was never meant for the few. It was meant for all.
Don’t let your disability define you! Define your disability.
4500 Miles: A Journey of Inspiration!
Follow me as I go on an adventure from the Atlantic coastline to the Appalachian Mountains. Watch on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. Nightly blogs about the days Adventure.
Donating
All donations go directly towards the journey
Your support helps fuel the ride and the mission. Every donation goes toward travel costs, prosthetic upkeep, and sharing this journey to inspire others facing life after limb loss.
Can’t donate? Sharing the story is just as powerful. Thank you for being part of the road ahead.
#ChasingDreamsCreatingHope
— Dave
By clicking on the image below, you’ll be taken to our funding page. Please know that all funds received are used directly for this trip. No personal gain or payments are made to anyone associated with this ride.
How Your Donations Will Be Used
Your generous contributions will directly support the upcoming journey and help raise awareness for disability advocacy. Here's a breakdown of how the funds will be used:
Fuel Costs – $500
To cover transportation throughout the trip.
Food – $600
For two meals a day to stay energized and healthy on the road.
Lodging – $550
While I plan to camp in state parks whenever possible, this will cover indoor lodging in case of severe weather.
Essential Gear – $250
Rain gear, a one-man tent, water supplies, and other necessary equipment.
Emergency Fund – $200
To ensure safety and preparedness for unexpected situations.
Film Gear – $500
To document the journey and help share our message through a short documentary.
All donated funds and gear will be used for this trip. Any equipment purchased will also support next year's journey through the Great Midwest, building on this year’s momentum. With your support, we hope to raise awareness, inspire others, and possibly grow our team for an even larger impact next year.
Have questions or ideas? We’d love to hear from you! Please feel free to message us.
Thank you in advance for your support of this trip of Hope and
Inspirations.
Teaser podcast
Episode one and two will drop tonight and tomorrow please click the picture to hear the podcast
4500 miles
From Baltimore, Maryland to Bar Harbor, Maine, back to Baltimore to Saint Augustine, Florida and finally back to Baltimore.
100+
Stories from this trip from inspirational to Funny!
2000