This is a compelling true story of a young boy born and raised in poverty in Oklahoma. He struggled in school, especially in reading and math. It was his mother who helped him learn reading and math, not his teachers. Fighting in order to protect himself resulted in several "paddlings" and other disciplinary actions at school. Facing the possibility of being sent to a delinquent home for boys, he devised a plan where he would catch a train going north with King, a dog, who he promised would never be a stray dog again. He had even practiced jumping a boxcar while the train was moving! He would miss his family, but he was not going to the place for delinquent boys. In the fifth grade, with the help of his mother, he started turning things around. He accelerated to the top of his class in all subjects. Not only was he top of his class academically, but also he burgeoned in sports. He played on the seventh- and eighth-grade basketball and baseball teams when he was only in the fifth grade. He loved reading about medicine, rockets, math, and the universe, among other subjects.
When he told his counselor and teachers that he wanted to become a doctor, he was encouraged to go into something else. Again, it was his mother that encouraged him to follow his dreams. With his poor education, it was doubtful his dreams would come to fruition. Still, he never gave up on his dreams. Through hard work and perseverance, his dreams came true.
