We’re all born equal in this world, and ideally we’d all have the same opportunities and the same love and compassion shown to us in order to help us grow.
Sadly, our individual journeys are just that: individual. Some of us experience nothing but kindness growing up. Others face extraordinary trials and tribulations from an early age. Others still go through things that no child should.
Chris Tomlinson is in the latter category. Now a grown man with two daughters, Chris has walked a path stricken with pain and suffering. Fortunately, his faith is strong indeed, and has stood the test of time where it could so easily have faltered in the face of adversity.
Chris was still very young when he was the victim of a tragic accident.
Before he had turned even two years old, Chris slipped away from his parents and wandered into a shed in his family’s backyard. There, the curious toddler accidentally knocked over a can of gasoline and covered himself in gasoline.
When the pilot light on the hot water heater turned on, it ignited the fuel, thereby setting Chris on fire. The young boy suffered 98% burns to his body and was left in unimaginable pain.
His mother rushed him to the hospital, where doctors gave Chris just a 1% chance of surviving through the night.
With his family by his side, though, the brave little boy managed to beat the overwhelming odds and pull through.
Understandably, his life was changed forever.
He spent a lot of the rest of his childhood in and out of hospitals, undergoing more than 200 surgeries to try and repair his body.
As per GodUpdates, Chris said: “I always found the positivity in everything. I had this big old smile on my face because I knew God was with me… It wasn’t just by my own strength, it was God who was there for me the whole time.”
The various difficulties and hardships followed him into adulthood, where Chris was told that it was very unlikely that he would ever be able to have children.
Once again, though, Chris proved them wrong, welcoming not just one, but two daughters into the world. Due to his injuries – and the resulting differences in his appearance and physical appearances – holding down a steady job has proven extremely difficult at times.
As a result, Chris and his daughters have even found themselves homeless. Through it all, though, Chris refused to abandon his faith in God.
A few years ago, the father-of-two took to the internet looking to begin a conversation about his myriad struggles. His aim was not to seek pity or help from anyone, but rather to be a catalyst for discussion regarding the way people with disabilities are seen and treated in today’s world.
