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Acknowledgements

God and my Ancestors from Africa and North America: For giving me strength to pull through my cancer ordeal. Always working in the background and orchestrating my vision of becoming an inspirational speaker and author.


Family: My intermediate family (My Parents, Brother, and Sister) for always being supportive and being there for me. My extended family for keeping me in their prayers throughout the years and for also being supportive. “CalmandStrong” came into existence because I inherited my Mother’s creativity, my Father’s determination and my Grandmother’s strength.


Friends: My friends who were around when I was sick during my teen years in high school and those who believe in my vision.


My Life Coach: For encouraging me to become an inspirational speaker and recognizing that I have a unique story to tell. He also was the first person to believe in my vision 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.

Organizations and Educational Institutions 

High Desert Primary Care: The Doctors and Staff for noticing that something was unusual in my body, and insisted more tests should be performed at Loma Linda Children’s Hospital.


Loma Linda Children’s Hospital: Taking care of me when I was 14 and 17 years old during the darkest days of my life when I was diagnosed with knee cancer, had to get a knee replacement, had lung cancer and when I became a hip amputee.


Hanger Prosthetics and Orthotics: Taking the time crafting my prosthetic legs over the years, and always looking out for my best interests when it comes to getting the best prosthetic leg available.


Silverado High School, Victor Valley College and California State University, Long Beach: All the teachers, coaches, teammates, professors and counselors for their support, helped me with my education and the skills I acquired as a writer.


Toastmasters at CSUSB: Accepting me with open arms and letting me express my pain, struggle, and accomplishments through public speaking. The Advisor of the club for helping me craft my inspirational speeches.

Inspiration from Entertainment

Video Games: inFAMOUS and inFAMOUS 2


Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), for giving Sucker Punch Productions the resources to create the inFAMOUS franchise and Cole MacGrath. Sucker Punch Productions for creating Cole MacGrath. A character that was an ordinary person, but still being able to overcome extraordinary adversities.

Music: 

Nas

The Pharcyde

Blu & Exile

For their honesty, encouraging lyrics about knowing myself worth, to keep moving forward and to not dwell on the past.

The Brother’s Stillmatic. I crawled up out of that grave, wiping the dirt, cleaning my shirt, they thought I’d make another ‘Illmatic.’ But it’s always forward I’m moving, never backwards stupid here’s another classic.


This is the rebirth. I know the streets thirst water like Moses, walking through the hot desert, searching to be free. This is my ending and new beginning – nostalgia. Alpha and Omega places, it’s like a glitch in 'The Matrix.'


'Blood of a Slave, Heart of a King.'

- Nas, Stillmatic (The Intro), Stillmatic

So I stood up and let my free form, form free, said I’m gonna get some before they knockin’ out me. I don’t sweat it, I let the bullsh*t blow in the breeze, in other words just debris.

Slimkid Tre of The Pharcyde, Runnin', Labcabincalifornia 

Now that I’m older, stress weighs on my shoulders heavy as boulders, but I told y’all, until the day that I die I still will be a soldier.

- Imani of The Pharcyde, Runnin’, Labcabincalifornia

Another day broke, money ain’t my motto, nope. Traded peace for the sorrow that I swallow, bottle after bottle, like the role models that I hallow, feeling like a seedless avocado.


On the brink of trying to make my mind, save my soul, at the same time trying to make this rhyme. Wonder, will I be saved in time? Make Salah, say grace case God change his mind. How insane am I? Just the same as you, came here what you came to do, I’m just saying the truth.

- Blu & Exile, More Out Of Life, Give Me My Flowers While I Can Still Smell Them

Nothing is More Powerful Than a Made up Mind.

- Ice Cube, Hot 97 Interview

NBA Players:  

Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway

Kevin Johnson

Jason Kidd

Dedication 

CalmandStrong is dedicated to all people from all ages that have ever experienced a serious illness, especially the teenagers and young adults who have sadly passed away from their illnesses. 

Disclaimer...


I do not own any content from the images displayed from PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royal (2012).


No Copyright Intended. All image content is copyright to their respective owners. All content is property of Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), developed by Sucker Punch Productions, SuperBot Entertainment, Bluepoint Games, in conjunction with SCE Santa Monica Studio.


I do not own any content from the album covers from the artist's displayed. Nas' Stillmatic, The Pharcyde's Labcabincalifornia and Humboldt Beginnings, Blu & Exile's Below The Heavens and Give Me My Flowers While I Can Still Smell Them.


No Copyright Intended. All image content is copyright to their respective owners.


All Rights go to Nas. SME, on behalf of Columbia Records.


All Rights go to The Pharcyde.

Delicious Vinyl, BicycleMusicCompany, Chapter One Entertainment.


All Rights go to Blu & Exile.

Sound in Color, Dirty Science, Fat Beats Records.


(Language is present on this page)

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