The one thing that's guaranteed in life is death. I learned that very early on. My story isn't all that unique as there are a lot of kids my age who have lost one or both of their parents. However, not every surviving parent has turned their loss into a legacy.  My mom did that for my dad, and in turn, has driven me to be the man I am today. Like many other parents, my mom sacrificed a lot for me; she based her schedule around my schedule.  Like many parents, she spent hours at my baseball tournaments and would then stay up to make sure the laundry was done, and the house was clean.  She would make my favorite dinners, plan amazing birthday parties and always make sure my grades were good, and my homework was done.  She has always been my biggest fan and made me believe I could achieve anything I put my mind to.   But, UNLIKE most other parents, she also sacrificed so much more when my dad suddenly passed away from a stroke when I was only 23 months old, and she was only 29. As soon as the doctors told her that my dad wouldn't survive, she made a promise to me that she would keep his memory alive for me.  I know it was painful for her to do this, but she protected me and honored my dad by telling me stories, keeping his pictures up around the house and showing me videos of him even though it made her miss him more. Three weeks after he died, my mom threw me the Elmo birthday party, and a year after he died, she started the Scott Coopersmith Stroke Awareness Foundation (SCSAF) in his honor. Fifteen years later, that decision to start the foundation has continued to help me in many ways. When I started high school, SCSAF’s Board of Directors voted me in as Youth Philanthropy Officer. This was my first time taking on a leadership role, and I wanted to make my mom proud. My first task was to bring the awareness of stroke to my high school. I approached my baseball coaches with an idea for a Stroke Awareness Night. They were on board with the idea, and I began to plan. I wrote a PSA about FAST, the signs of a stroke, and it was played for all the fans in the stands. I believe that not only my mom, but also my dad was proud of me and with me that night. Being a part of SCSAF has taught me how to interact, and be kind, and empathetic towards everyone. No matter what a person looks like, how they sound, or what has happened to them in the past, everyone deserves respect, and everyone has a story.  My mom's resilience after losing my dad helped to teach me this. I am proud of my mom and thankful to her for looking past her pain and keeping my dad's memory alive in a healthy, productive manner.  I am proud to be a part of SCSAF, which has helped me learn about the type of man that my dad was and the type of man I aspire to be. People want to be a part of something “BIG,” and my mom created something “BIG” out of our tragedy. Being a part of this nonprofit has given me confidence, taught me responsibility and communication skills. I believe it has better prepared me for success in the future which is my mom and dad’s lifetime gift to me.

The one thing that is guaranteed in life is death. I learned that incredibly early on. The part of my story where I lost my dad is not particularly unique as there are a lot of other kids my age who have lost one or both of their parents. However, not every loss has turned into a passion and legacy. I was two years old when my dad died suddenly of a stroke. Losing a parent that young, made me “different” than my peers. I recognized this as early as preschool when my uncle would come for “Donuts with Dad” so I wouldn't miss the experience. As I grew up with the absence of my father, I noticed additional “differences.” The year after my dad died, my mom started a non-profit organization, The Scott Coopersmith Stroke Awareness Foundation (SCSAF), to raise awareness and help other stroke survivors. Every summer when my peers were looking forward to camps, I was looking forward to our annual gala and all that went into it. As soon as I was given the chance to help, I took it. I started off with small tasks like folding t-shirts, stuffing bags, and reading off raffle tickets at our gala. As I got older, I started writing and delivering my own toast for my dad every year in front of a sea of people. Being a part of this event, every year has helped me not only to develop strong public speaking skills, but also maintain a connection with my dad through stories told by his friends and family. When I started high school, SCSAF’s Board of Directors voted me in as Youth Philanthropy Officer. While my peers were playing video games, I was raising stroke awareness. I participated in World Stroke Day in Downtown Orlando with Mayor Buddy Dyer, did Facebook “lives” with my mom, and assisted her in every way I could. My first task as Youth Philanthropy Officer was to bring the awareness of stroke to my high school. My sophomore year, I approached my baseball coaches with an idea for a Stroke Awareness Night. They were on board with the idea, and I began to plan my first event. Before the game, I brought one of our coaches, a recent stroke survivor, and one of my teammate's brothers, also a stroke survivor onto the field. They threw the first pitches of the game and then a PSA that I wrote about FAST, the signs of a stroke, was played for all the fans in the stands. I believe that my dad was proud of me and definitely with me that night. I am glad to be a part of SCSAF, which has helped me learn about the type of man that my dad was and the type of man I aspire to be. People want to be a part of something “BIG,” and my mom created something “BIG” out of our tragedy. Being a part of this nonprofit has given me confidence, taught me responsibility and communication skills. I believe it has better prepared me for success in the future which is my dad’s lifetime gift to me.

The one thing that is guaranteed in life is death. I learned that incredibly early on. The part of my story where I lost my dad is not particularly unique as there are a lot of other kids my age who have lost one or both of their parents. However, not every loss has turned into a passion and legacy. I was two years old when my dad died suddenly of a stroke. Losing a parent that young, made me “different” than my peers. I recognized this as early as preschool when my uncle would come for “Donuts with Dad” so I wouldn't miss the experience. As I grew up with the absence of my father, I noticed additional “differences.” The year after my dad died, my mom started a non-profit organization, The Scott Coopersmith Stroke Awareness Foundation (SCSAF), to raise awareness and help other stroke survivors. Every summer when my peers were looking forward to camps, I was looking forward to our annual gala and all that went into it. As soon as I was given the chance to help, I took it. I started off with small tasks like folding t-shirts, stuffing bags, and reading off raffle tickets at our gala. As I got older, I started writing and delivering my own toast for my dad every year in front of a sea of people. Being a part of this event, every year has helped me not only to develop strong public speaking skills, but also maintain a connection with my dad through stories told by his friends and family. When I started high school, SCSAF’s Board of Directors voted me in as Youth Philanthropy Officer. While my peers were playing video games, I was raising stroke awareness. I participated in World Stroke Day in Downtown Orlando with Mayor Buddy Dyer, did Facebook “lives” with my mom, and assisted her in every way I could. My first task as Youth Philanthropy Officer was to bring the awareness of stroke to my high school. My sophomore year, I approached my baseball coaches with an idea for a Stroke Awareness Night. They were on board with the idea, and I began to plan my first event. Before the game, I brought one of our coaches, a recent stroke survivor, and one of my teammate's brothers, also a stroke survivor onto the field. They threw the first pitches of the game and then a PSA that I wrote about FAST, the signs of a stroke, was played for all the fans in the stands.   I believe that my dad was proud of me and definitely with me that night. I am glad to be a part of SCSAF, which has helped me learn about the type of man that my dad was and the type of man I aspire to be. People want to be a part of something “BIG,” and my mom created something “BIG” out of our tragedy. Being a part of this nonprofit has given me confidence, taught me responsibility and communication skills. I believe it has better prepared me for success in the future which is my dad’s lifetime gift to me.