From the Wikipedia website (movie is not all true):Born Michael Jerome Williams, Jr., in Memphis, Tennessee, he was one of twelve children to Denise Oher. His mother was an alcoholic and crack cocaine addict, and his father, Michael Jerome Williams, was frequently in prison. Due to his upbringing, he received little attention and discipline during his childhood.[1] He repeated both first and second grades, and attended eleven different schools during his first nine years as a student.[1] He was placed in foster care at age seven, and alternated between living in various foster homes and periods of homelessness.[1][2] Oher's biological father was a former cell mate of Denise Oher's brother and was murdered in prison when Oher was a senior in high school.[1]
Oher played football during his freshman year at a public high school in Memphis and applied for admission to Briarcrest Christian School at the instigation of acquaintance Tony Henderson, with whom he was living temporarily. Henderson was enrolling his son to the school in order to fulfill the dying wish of the boy's grandmother, and thought Oher might enroll as well.[1] The school's football coach submitted Oher's school application to the headmaster, who agreed to accept him if Oher could complete a home study program first. Despite not finishing the program, he was admitted when the headmaster realized that his requirement had removed Oher from the public education system.[1]
After the 2003 football season at Briarcrest, he was named Division II (2A) Lineman of the Year in 2003 and First Team Tennessee All-State.[3] Scout.com rated Oher a five-star recruit and the #5 offensive lineman prospect in the country.[4] Before that season and for his prior twenty months at Briarcrest, Oher had been living with several foster families. In 2004, Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy, a couple with a daughter and son attending Briarcrest, allowed Oher to live with them and eventually adopted him. The family began tending to his needs after becoming familiar with his difficult childhood. They also hired a tutor for him, who worked with him for twenty hours per week.[1]
Oher also earned two letters in track and basketball. He averaged 22 points and 10 rebounds a game, earning All-State honors by helping lead the basketball team to a 27-6 record, winning the district championship as a senior. Oher was also a state runner-up in the discus as a senior.[5]
Oher eventually increased his 0.6 grade point average to a 2.52 GPA by the end of his senior year so he could attend a Div. I school by enrolling in some 10-day-long Internet-based courses from Brigham Young University. Taking and passing the internet courses allowed him to replace Ds and Fs earned in earlier school classes, such as English, with As earned via the Internet.[6] This finally raised his graduating GPA over the required limit.[7]
It is these kind of stories that break my heart and encourage me at the same time. They make me want to adopt and/or foster. There are so many kids that need a good, loving , caring home. How can we turn our backs on these children who by no fault of their own end up in bad situations? Where would Michael have ended up if the Tuohy's hadn't opened their hearts to him? I know adoption and foster care isn't for everyone but it has a special place in my heart and one day I hope to make a difference in many children's lives. I don't know when but one day.........until then my help through World Vision will have to do=)
kellee
Isaiah 1:17 "Seek justice, encourage the oppressed.
Defend the cause of the fatherless,
plead the case of the widow."
Jeremiah 22:16 "He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me? declares the Lord.
Isaiah 1:17 "Seek justice, encourage the oppressed.
Defend the cause of the fatherless,
plead the case of the widow."
Jeremiah 22:16 "He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me? declares the Lord.
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