Photo courtesy of Good Morning America/ Twitter.
After being surprised with a one million dollar donation for his nonprofit organization Disabled But Not Really, Wesley Hamilton was moved to tears. Hamilton appeared on Good Morning America for a segment about his organization.
Journalist T.J. Holmes surprised Hamilton during the live segment where the Disabled But Not Really founder was under the impression he could win a donation of up to $100,000. A wheel was on the stage with different dollar amounts written in sections. Whichever section Hamilton landed on after spinning the wheel was the amount he’d win.
After initially believing he’d won $40,000, Holmes shocked Hamilton by telling him his donation was one million dollars. Hamilton, his mother and his daughter were moved to tears. Holmes appeared to be choked up as well.
The $1 million donation was given by an organization in California that funds spinal cord injury research called the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation.
“They heard about you, and they’ve been following you and they love your story and what you’ve done,” said Holmes.“This is real, for you to continue your work.”
“Thank you, everybody, for this,” Hamilton said in tears. “It’s always been about the people that we’ve been serving. I’m just really grateful. I don’t have a lot of words right now. This doesn’t seem real.”
Hamilton was paralyzed from the waist down after being shot in the abdomen twice in 2012 by a stranger. As he rebuilt his life, he decided to help others do the same and founded Disabled But Not Really in 2015.
The organization nurtures marginalized disabled communities by providing fitness and wellness programs well as guidance. Hamilton plans to use some of the funds to build a mobile gym. He has also forgiven the stranger who tried to kill him and believes he is exactly where he is supposed to be.
“The man who tried to take my life gave me life. I’m living my purpose and everybody is seeing it,” he said.
His daughter, Nevaeh, adores her dad and calls him a superhero.
“My dad’s a superhero to me because he helped me out. He motivates me,” she said. “My dad is literally the most amazing person I know.”