Justin Chappell wasn’t so sure he wanted to tell his story.
The Guthrie High School linebacker has myasthenia gravis, a neuromuscular disease that has attacked his eyes and affected his vision. Unless he takes eight pills a day, he sees double in crazy, wacky ways.
But when Guthrie coach Rafe Watkins let him know that yours truly wanted to talk with him about his disease, Chappell didn’t want to do it.
Then his mother, Sharla, reminded him of the power of his story.
“Maybe someone has your signs,” she said.
Maybe someone, then, could draw inspiration from him.
Chappell, after all, got a big boost a few years ago when ESPN The Magazine profiled Auburn quarterback Brandon Cox. The Tigers’ starter has myasthenia gravis, too, and when Chappell saw his story, it made a huge difference in his battle with the disease.
“I was still having question marks here and there,” Chappell said. “I questioned even playing football and baseball.”
Seeing that Cox was not only playing but also playing at the Division-I level reassured Chappell.
“It kind of lifted my spirits a little bit,” Chappell said.
His mother said, “That was such a blessing for us. That was another uplift for us. When a doctor tells you that your son has this and he’s on 12 pills and you’re thinking, ‘Are we doing the right thing here for son?’, then … I get a magazine with Brandon’s story in it.
“There are kids out there still playing with it. Let’s don’t lay down and die here. Let’s roll with it.”
Chappell has. He is the second-leading tackler for Guthrie, who defeated then top-ranked Carl Albert on Friday night. The Bluejays have now taken over the No. 1 spot in Class 5A.
Chappell is helping them win ballgames, but who knows how many other folks he may be helping with his story?