The best kind of championship

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By CINDY CROSBY

cindyc4@yahoo.com

Susan Sherrill was determined to stand for her son Alex’s Class of 2020 graduation. Sounds like a simple enough goal, right? Except it was not.

Sherrill was in an auto accident in 2016 that left her confined to a wheelchair. Told she would never walk again, Sherrill refused to give up and made it her personal goal to not only continue to attend her children’s sporting events and be an involved parent, but to stand for her oldest son’s graduation. As the years passed, despite setbacks along the way, her goal evolved into walking to Alex on his graduation day.

Last Friday, Sherrill’s wish was fulfilled — despite COVID-19. With much determination and assistance from Select Therapy in Summerville, Sherrill stood and walked across the room where Alex, wearing his cap and gown, stood waiting with open arms.

“After the accident, the doctor told me I would never walk again,” said Sherrill. “My original goal was to stand at graduation, obviously I passed that! Now, my goal is to work my way down to knee braces. Since the doctors were convinced I wouldn’t walk at all, who knows what the future will bring? I just know I am not going to stop.”

Alex, a standout basketball player for Colleton County High School, was beaming with pride as his mother slowly and determinedly made her way across the room to him.

“My mom’s journey to walking has been a long and hard one for her,” said Alex. “There have been times when she’s told me she wanted to give up, but I told her to always to keep in prayer and to never give up — just like she encouraged me not to quit in basketball. I have never seen her give up on herself or our family — and for that, along with many other reasons, I love my mom.”

What is next for the Sherrill family? An important official college visit for Alex, delayed due to COVID-19, where he hopes to ink a basketball scholarship in the next few weeks. Named Region AAAA Player of the Year, All-State, and carrying a 3.59 GPA, it seems like good things are lining up for the Sherrill family.