TUPELO, Miss. (WTVA) -- On March 27th 2005, the life of 22-year-old Sean Carter changed forever.
The native of Dallas was involved in a drunk-driving crash that resulted in his restriction to a motorized wheelchair and unable to speak, but he is still able to share his story without speaking a word.
Carter and his mother Jenny are speaking all around the nation and Saturday they shared his message with local Anchor Club groups as a living symbol of how drunk driving impacts lives.
"We saw that he could go on and have a positive affect on the world around us," says Jenny Carter. "We both could by sharing our message."
"I want to do anything I can to prevent this to happening to even one person," Sean Carter relays through a computer translator. "To try to get kids to focus their energy on making this world a better place."
"It is very inspiring unlike anything I had ever seen before," says Tupelo High School junior, Margaret Ann Horton.
"This story he has just really speaks to high school students because this is a situation that can affect every single one of them," says Allyn Wamble, a senior at Oak Hill Academy in West Point. "He inspires people to do what's different, and that's a really hard thing to do in high school."
Six years following the accident, Sean is using his keyboard to relay messages to youth across America. However, his smile and comical phrases add another feature to his already positive influence.
"He enjoys so much the social aspect of what we do. He loves the interaction he has with people," his mother says.
"I realized going around sad accomplishes nothing," Sean Carter says. "My grandma used to say 'Smile and the world smiles with you, cry and you cry alone.'"
"I think he had a change of perspective. He was sad to begin with, but he knows he's really gifted," adds Katie Gilbert, a senior at Tupelo High School.
"He has the ability to change like he might be able to walk he might be able to talk, he has hope still."
What stands out beyond his story and message, is the love and compassion between he and his mother.
"I think it's really amazing that his mom just gave up her whole life and made Sean her life," Gilbert adds. "She loves him so much, and it's like a mother's thing, but she gave up her job and career. She's just being his angel now."
"I'm very inspired by his mother as well," adds Horton. "It takes a whole lot of guts and perseverance to be able to take care of someone who can do basically nothing for themselves."
It's like their slogan says, when Sean speaks people indeed listen.
You can find out more about Sean's story, daily life, and their non-profit organization by visiting www.WhenSeanSpeaks.com.
