I Beat the Odds_ From Homelessness, to the Blind Side, and Beyond - Michael Oher [84]
This is a problem we should all care about. These kids are the next generation, for better or for worse. Let's all do what we can to give them the best shot possible at success. Think of the difference you could make--that you may already be making--just by looking around you.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Michael has experienced more in his twenty-four years than many people experience in an entire lifetime, and in order to really gain a fuller sense of all he has seen and lived we needed the help of many, many other people, ranging from family and friends to foster parents, former teachers, and DCS workers. Without their assistance we could have never helped Michael put together as complete a picture of his early life.
Ms. Bobbie Spivey is someone we cannot thank enough, not only for the time she gave us and the details she provided, but for the blood, sweat, and tears she dedicated to the Oher family and many others just like them for well over twenty years. Being a social worker is often a thankless job, but the dedication men and women in the field show is tremendous, important, and life changing. Thank you for all that you did and continue to do for the abused, neglected, and troubled children across the country.
Special thanks must be extended to Rob Johnson and Stacy Miller at the Tennessee Department of Children's Services. Together with the staff there, they dedicated days searching for Michael's records--even in the midst of the devastating Nashville floods that were impacting their city--and spent hours with us on the phone, explaining the breakdown of the system in the 1990 and how to help Michael find alternative sources of information about his past, and advising us on the delicate legal restrictions involved. Thank you, too, to Nancy Clark who put us in touch with the right people; to Zach Farrar, for his help with navigating the juvenile court system in Tennessee; and to the Shelby County Juvenile Court, for the records and documents they were able to provide.
Thank you to Velma Jones, for meeting with us and supplying us with many details about Michael's time under her care, and to Ms. Verlene Logan, for talking to us about having Michael in her fourth-grade class. The memories you shared were fascinating and informative.
Michael's family, especially Marcus, was invaluable, not only for the stories they shared, but also for helping to take us around to visit all the old neighborhoods. Craig Vail was a great help in that regard, too; thank you for being such a loyal friend and a strong support. Steve Henderson, you are such a hard worker and we appreciate you taking the time out of your work schedule and celebration upon having just graduated from Ole Miss to share with us some of your memories of Michael. Big Tony Henderson, thank you for making time for us, too, and for your interest and concern for Michael even as you were focusing on raising your own sons to be successful men.
To Sean, Leigh Anne, Collins, and S.J. Tuohy, thank you for all of your time and help with both stories and photos for this book. You always give us something to laugh about, and your family has certainly made an impact on many, many lives.
Of course, this story wouldn't have caught America's attention if not for the amazing writing of one of this country's great writers, Michael Lewis, who penned the book The Blind Side. His book was spun into an even more amazing movie that was viewed by millions.
To Jimmy Sexton, John Haun, Heather Mundy, and everyone at Athletic Resource Management: Your help with coordinating all of the different pieces for