A word from Fern Oppenheim

When I went on the bloggers’ tour of Israel as a guest of America’s Voices in Israel in 2007, Fern Oppenheim was our incredibly gracious host. She writes to ask a favor:

I generally don’t write to you for personal reasons, but am writing now to ask for a favor on behalf of an extraordinary 18 year old from my community, Cory Greenbaum, who was paralyzed in a car accident at the age of 13.

This is National Mobility Month and there is a contest going on in which he can win his own accessible van. He is planning to take driving lessons this summer (and is actually headed to Stanford in the fall). Winning this vehicle would mean the world to Cory and depends on the number of votes he gets. In order to vote, you need to click on this link, enter a few fields, use Promo Code 777 (that gets him 5 votes for each vote person submitting with a promo code).

Here is the letter about him that his mom posted on the site:

Webster’s dictionary defines a HERO as : a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities or one who shows great courage.

My hero, my son, Cory, is such a person. Four and a half years ago at age 13 Cory was injured in an car accident overseas resulting in quadriplegia, C4/C5. Cory has faced tremendous challenges over his high school years and has done it all with grace and a smile. He works hard at therapy, putting hours a day into work and routines that no child or young adult should have to face. He has taken a challenging course load at school and has successfully completed his high school studies without the ability to write– often having to complete complicated equations in his head! Though he requires help in so many aspects of his life, he does everything with a positive attitude and has been an inspiration to so many people around him.

Cory is determined to move forward with a full and meaningful life. For the past two summers Cory has had an internship with Pepsi where he worked with the best and brightest on the Mountain Dew Marketing Team. Two summers ago he joined forces with Dooley, his service dog, who has become a wonderful addition to the family. And most recently, Cory was admitted to Stanford University which he will attend in the fall and enjoy a wonderful new beginning in Palo Alto.

Most importantly, Cory will be learning to drive this summer and will require an accessible van with hand controls. Winning this vehicle would mean the world to him and would be a dream come true…. please vote for Cory!!!

Fern adds that Cory “represents everything that is right about the next generation.”

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