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About Darryl

Life is something that we as human beings should not take for granted because we don't know what is in store for our future.


I have overcome many adversities already because when I was 14 years old, I was diagnosed with Stage I knee cancer called Osteosarcoma.

I only got to attend the first week at Silverado High School (Victorville, CA) in August 1999 during my freshman year because I had to undergo chemotherapy treatment at Loma Linda Children's Hospital (Loma Linda, CA).


I also had to get a knee replacement and learned to walk with an artificial knee with help of physical therapy. After defeating cancer, I was able to return back to high school during my sophomore year in October 2000.

I was finally cancer free at last, and put my cancer battle behind me. It was a difficult adjustment for me because I was still getting used to having a knee replacement.


I decided to do my own physical therapy after school, because I wasn’t able to run and I was determined to try out for my high school basketball team.


I came into my own my junior year because I made the Junior Varsity Basketball Team in 2001, and had a more positive outlook on life.

In the summer of 2002, I made the Summer League Varsity Basketball Team, and was looking forward to have a successful senior year of high school.


At 17 years old, I noticed a sharp and throbbing pain in my right knee that I was well too familiar with when I was 14 years old.


I was devastated when I found out the cancer came back at Stage IV during my senior year of high school in October 2002, and I had to undergo chemotherapy treatment all over again.


While doing my chemotherapy treatment regimen, doctors ordered a biopsy. The Magnetic Resolution Imaging (MRI) showed that the cancer had traveled to my right lung.


A needle biopsy was used to take the cancer off my right lung, which was a complete success.

Since I already had a knee replacement, there was nothing further doctors could do but amputate my right leg to save my life in 2003. Now I am a hip amputee and could only walk with a prosthetic leg. 


Cole is an ordinary bike messenger who gains electrical superpowers when a package he delivers explodes. I feel what I've been through is a superhero story because of the adversities that I was forced to overcome, and it made sense for me to compare my story to my favorite superhero: Cole MacGrath. 

Cole was forced to be in the hospital because of an accident that gave him the ability to control electricity. Just like me, I was forced to be in hospital doing chemotherapy treatment because I had knee cancer as a teenager.


I connected to the more human-side of Cole. For example, we were both forced to be in the hospital, deal with our burdens and overcame adversities that waited for us in the future.


I also felt I knew what Cole was going through when electrical superpowers were forced upon him, because I was forced with having knee cancer twice during my teen years.


The game helped me make a decision: to think positive and do something to help myself; or stay in a dark and depressing place because I didn’t have control of my situation.


The inFAMOUS franchise showed me that what ever happened to me in the past cannot be changed, but I have the choice to do something about my future.


The game gave me everything I have been looking for ever since my right leg got amputated at 17 years old. I finally found somebody I could relate to with Cole’s inspirational story.

Mission Statement

Accomplishments

Victor Valley College with an Associate Degree (AA) in Liberal Arts, with an emphasis in Journalism in 2008 (Victorville, CA).

California State University, Long Beach Bachelor of Arts Degree (BA) in Journalism and a Minor in Africana Studies in 2012 (Long Beach, CA).

Honors and Awards

On March 10th, 2018, I received my Advanced Communicator Bronze Certificate from Toastmasters International because I completed 20 speeches.

On Sept. 13th, 2017, I won my second Table Topics Award at Toastmasters at CSUSB.


My speech was about people who are not from Southern California think all of Southern California is Los Angeles, and never recognize the Inland Empire.

On March 1st, 2017, I won my first Table Topics Award at Toastmasters at CSUSB.


My speech was about connecting my experiences and realities of being a two-time cancer survivor and hip amputee to the digital world of the inFAMOUS videogame franchise and superhero Cole MacGrath.

On Nov. 7th, 2016, I received my Toastmasters International Competent Communicator Certificate because I completed 10 speeches.

On April 26th, 2016, I received a certificate for completing over 100 hours as a Child Life volunteer at Loma Linda Children's Hospital (the same hospital where I did my chemotherapy treatment).

Disclaimer...


I don't own any content from the image displayed from inFAMOUS (2009).


No Copyright Intended. All image and video content is copyright to their respective owners. All content is property of Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), developed by Sucker Punch Productions.


I don't own any content from the image displayed from Victor Valley College.

No Copyright Intended. All image content is copyright to their respective owners. All content is property of Victor Valley College.


I don't own any content from the image displayed from California State University, Long Beach.


No Copyright Intended. All image content is copyright to their respective owners. All content is property of California State University, Long Beach.


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