The Gifts in Life -- The Stories of Two Freds

Freddie Lamback and Frederick Fuller have reasons to be proud, yet their stories are not their entirely their own.

When we left high school in 1959, we were excited about the possibilities for ourselves. We just knew we could do anything! As many of you have pointed out, we lived in a golden age - it was a special time.

We began to make choices as semi-adults: college, marriage, jobs, children. In our twenties, we still had a lot to prove to others and to ourselves before we could really feel like adults. But most of us made it to real adulthood! And for some the challenges took on a new perspective; the challenges were no longer just about US. The challenges involved our families. And that was scary.

For Freddie, the challenge was a son with cerebral palsy. Starting Lantz with swimming at age nine, Freddie and his wife, Donna, helped him compete in able-bodied programs until he was 14. Since then, they have cheered him on to winning medals and breaking records. In 2008, Lantz Lamback won four medals at the Beijing Paralympics -- including his first GOLD.

Always there for Lantz in spite of work schedules, Freddie's interest in supporting other young people with special needs has led him around the globe. He continues to participate in seminars on disabled swimming and recently assisted in setting up disabled programs in Egypt and other parts of Africa. Donna thinks he should retire so he can do more! Now 22, Lantz continues to give as well. A student at Augusta State University while not training in Colorado, he can be found sharing with local young people and inspiring their dreams. Not unlike his father.

For Frederick, the challenge was a daughter-in-law with the need for a transplant. Dealing with the frightening heart condition of their son's wife and the mother of three of their grandchildren was not on the list of 'family activities to do' for Frederick and his wife, Mary, but the love and prayers which enabled them to raise their own family was passed along.

It is what carried them all through the eventual heart transplant of Jeannie Fuller and which fills the days of their son, Chip, and the grandchildren. It is what enables them to celebrate the two year transplant anniversary while prayerfully remembering the family who made Jeannie's new heart possible. One only needs to read blog messages to spot the way this family accepts the Gifts in Life. And, yes, Frederick's big wide smile is still there.

Read more of Jeannie Fuller's story here.

These two classmates have given support and care to the next generation -- it's just what you do -- and they have come to understand that the Gifts in Life are not always what you expect them to be.

From that we can all take a lesson.
For that we can all be proud.

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