There was a time in my life when I thought my deepest innermost fear would be to see my son Donald (at the age of 15 or 16) standing before a judge being sentenced for some crime. I feared I would hear someone say “Your Honor, he did not have his Father in his life!” Instead of facing a fear, my son made it possible for me to enjoy one of my proudest moments on a Sunday afternoon in May.
Donald Carson
I want to share with family, friends and those who have shown concern over the years that Donald recently graduated with his Master’s Degree in Science from Hampton University in Virginia. It has been less than 2 years that Donald was still undergoing treatment for severe Aplastic Anemia. After his first round of drug treatments failed to “jump start” his bone marrow to get back into the business of manufacturing blood cells, he opted to undergo a second round of treatments at the National Institutes of Health in Maryland. In between that second round of treatments and Donald introducing me for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in August of 2006 he made a decision to enroll into the Medical Graduate Program at Hampton and go on with his life. Initially, I was very concerned and cautious about him making that move but with his strong faith and self belief he forged ahead with the move. He has worked diligently to recovered from his medical condition, to earn his Master’s Degree and from here he is headed to Medical School at Virginia Tech in August.I, as well as all of his very extended family members are extremely proud of his accomplishments and wish him all the best as he enters Medical School in the fall.
In spite of my own deepest fears as a Father of a son, I can honestly say that Donald has been nothing but a pleasure to have as a child and as a friend.
Donald with his Master’s Degree