Eighteen years ago tonight, Ari was born en caul at home, an outlier from the start, and every day since has been a ride of love, wonder, growth, and grit. This year’s birthday is different, weighed with deeper meaning. We faced a massive shift—adapting to paraplegic life. It’s been anything but easy, and Ari has faced it head-on with courage and grace. This is the genuine deal, not just aspirational. 

Since our last update, Ari has continued into his senior year of high school and has transitioned his recovery to CORE, a place with a vision for what’s possible that matches his. This has meant five hours of roundtrip drives to Altamonte Springs once or twice a week for two hours of activity-based training, worth every minute of the drive. Just this week Ari got to stroll around the gym using their Unilexa exoskeleton (see the photo on this post); it was exhilarating and a little exhausting but it’s no fun if you don’t break a sweat. Big thanks to the amazing trainers at CORE, to our friend Chris Hickox for telling us about it and insisting we check it out, and especially to all of you, Ari’s supporters, for making this present phase of the journey with CORE possible. And thank you to Ari’s Sabta for making a birthday gift possible that Ari is beyond excited about and is giving him a taste of the independence that’s coming… on the other side of a driving evaluation by a certified driver rehabilitation specialist and a visit to Gator Custom Mobility for some shiny hand controls. 

Since he turned 17 several eons ago, Ari has grown more than we ever could have imagined—mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. We are so amazed by this young man. 

Happy 18th Birthday, Ari. Your strength inspires us every day.

With Love and Gratitude, 

Ari’s Family