Who Has Inspired You Most? (Ask Anderson)
Saturday, October 29, 2011 5:00AM
Anderson talks about who most inspired him in his life - answering Leanne's question from YahooShine, "If you could name one person/family that you have encountered that gave you the most inspiration, who would it be and what did they endure?”
If you have a question for Anderson, ask it here.
If you have a question for Anderson, ask it here.
Filed Under: Ask Anderson
Comments
Hi I am Keri Michelle im 14 and my mom inspired me because even though she sent me to live with my dad all these years and i just found her on facebook 4 years ago and found out my dad actually has 3 more kids that are his Destiny Maey Persephany Eve and Piper Elane who are 6 4 and 2 and she has been through alot these 2 years she delt with my aunt her big sister dying and my dad getting in a wreck and being hurt for 5 months. She has been through a tough time and she has been very brave I LOVE YOU MOM
RIP Carla Michelle Caley 12-22-10
hi Anderson...your mother, Gloria, has been an inspiration for me...I just bought her book, "The World of Gloria Vanderbilt"...she is truly an amazing woman, and I loved seeing her on your show a couple of times...I just finished reading her book, "A Mother's Story", also...
My parent's inspired me.
I would like to say I am inspired by Alex Hermstad and her family. Alex had a rare disease that took too long to get diagnosed. As she lay unable to move, her mom and twin sister took care of her for many yearsat their home. I know they didn't have much help and the medical system really failed them but they never gave up. Unfortunately Alex passed away not too long ago. Alex's mom Lori, still is trying to help others from her experience of what she went through with her daughter.
I'm inspired by John Walsh (Host of America's most wanted. The pain he and his wife suffered upon the lost of their son Adam, who was abducted and murdered...I wish that upon no one. I admired his strenght, courage and determination to make sure no other parent has to suffer the way he and his family did. God bless him for the amazing job he doing on AMC.
Back in the 80's when being a black educated single parent running a non-profit organization was not 'fashionable', my neighbor was raising her two wonderful sons by herself. She was a professional in every sense of the word, she taught her children to be ideal young men, even as teenagers; and most of all she did it on her own. When my ex-husband was in rehab my two babies and I were in a fire. I had no job, no place to live and no clothes (at least for 24 hrs) for the children or myself. I had a car, my health (I was bruised from my coming out the bedroom window), two healthy children and a good support system. I made it. I kept thinking to myself, if Drew can do it, so can I. It worked. I have survived, and my kids...they are great! 21 and 25...and for tense and purposes wonderful young adults with good futures.
I am inspired by my friend, Lori Hermstad. I've heard a saying that "a parent should never have to bury a child," and my friend Lori has had to do just that. Lori had twin daughters, Jaci & Alex, who at 2 years old were the flower girls at my wedding. They were beautiful, and Lori was a great Mom. When the girls were 11 years old, Alex mysteriously lost control of her muscles/body. Lori and her family had to watch Alex take her last step, speak her last word, and take her last breath. Eventually, in 2010, they discovered that Alex had a gene mutation that caused her to have ALS. It is believed that Alex is the youngest person that this has ever happened to. Unfortunately, Alex lost her 6 year battle on Valentines Day this year. Lori was at her daughters side until the end. She was constantly looking for answers to what was wrong with her daughter. She did everything that she could do as a mother, that she knew how to do as a mother, reaching out to everyone that she knew for help and answers, to no avail. Lori continues the fight today. She has donated tissue from Alex with the hope that researchers will be able to build a model where stem cells will be created so that lives can be saved. Lori wants the world to know about "Alex's Army" and is determined to keep fighting for Alex and all that she had to endure. Lori is working to pass legislation to help families in medical crisis. She also hopes to one day start a horse therapy foundation in her daughter's name! For all that Lori has been through, for her strength and determination, she is my inspiration!!
My Parents have always inspired me to be the best person I can be. They always accepted me as I am, but were always there for me and my Family when we needed them and their support. Now that they have crossed over, I have many many memories to keep them alive in my heart and a part of my life. They continue to inspire me to be the best I can be and have a great impact on me and my Family every day of our lives.
I have been inspired by woman who, no matter their personal cir***stance, rose up and went through with grace, drive and never stopped giving to others. They are, Sandy Malkin of Mary Kay Cosmetics, a Director of the star fleet unit, a single mom, who has not had to buy a car in over 12 years and put her son through college, because of her dedication to her unit, and family. The other lady is: Ellie, of the star fleet unit of Sandy's. Ellie went through a personal hell of watching her young daughter die from something that she didn't deserve to have, and yet there was a air of grace and peace around here. Ellie had a smile on her face and a willing hand to lend to everyone she met. I was touched by both of these beautiful womem. Joan Frances Allen
I am most inspired by my grandparents, Mikhal and Domcele Makoviecki. They were both immigrants from Lithuania, but due to finances came to the US at different times. It took seven years before Mikhal had enough money to bring his wife here. They endured many hardships of which separation was only one. Yet their love sustained them without the benefit of letters since niether could read or write. When they were finally reunited, Domcele had to tell Mikhal that their daughter had died, although she did arrive with a son he did not know about! They were married for over fifty years, and had three more children of whom my father was the baby! I was blessed to have them in my life!
The person(s) that inspire me are my 3 daughter's. Thankfully we do not have tragedy in our lives like others. However, We have had have our challenges. My girls are the reason I get out of bed every morning and why I can sleep at night. They have had their issues like bullying and most shockingly parents that like to bully. But they get up every morning and conquer these nasty people with an unbelievable amount of grace that baffles me, while I would like to throttle them into an unknown universe =). I thank God every day for entrusting these beautiful human beings to me to guide and walk through life with. I am truly blessed.
The person who inspired me most is Dr. Maria Montessori, a woman in the 1800's, one of the first woman to graduate from medical school in Italy. Upon graduation she was assigned the 'intellectually challenged' children in the ward of the hospital. Through this experience she began her discoveries that humans are capable of learning and contributing to their life and others through their environment. She designed didactic materials and observed these children and proved her theory as they all passed a standarized test of the time. She took this work and opened the first Montessori School in a working class neighborhood and found more success. Since 1907, her method is time-tested with an amazing track record. What I most respect and admire about her and her method is the foundation of the philosophy is based in peace, she was nominated twice for the Nobel Peace Prize.
This pedagogy has produced the creator of Amazon, the creators of Google, Julia Childs, Sean P Diddy to name a few. It truly is the answer to our country's education woes and more.
the person who most inspired me in my life is my husband michael
he has not had an easy life by no means but his latest hurdle he has gone through has taught me that is you has faith and a positive attitude you can get through anything he was a marine in vietnam and developed a disease called ideopathic pulmonary fibrosis many years after discharge and found out that this disease is going to kill him well go figure the war didnt so to say well he ha undergone a lung transplant to give him some more time here on earth and let me tell you while he was waiting for his new lung at the william s middleton va hospital in madison wisconson he volunteered with veterans and helped them as he brought along his three canisters of oxygen and his medicine bag and he did this till he got the call for surgery and now after surgery back here in buffalo he still keeps his faith and positive attitude going in everything he does he will be starting a new volunteering program with veterans in the court system and how to help them get back to the straight road and if anyone can do it mike can
Right now the person who inspired me the most is Bette Middler. She was able to get people to listen to her and work together to clean up New York City. I am trying to do the same in my much smaller city Antioch CA. I would like to get the message out, IT'S NOT OK TO LITTER. We need the media to start talking more about this issue. I made this video to get our city officals attention. So we can work together to clean up our town. http://youtu.be/olLpAPGwrZQ
My twin daughter, Alex is the most inspirational person I will ever meet. She endured more than anyone I will ever know. Alex was healthy all of her life until age 11 she became paralyzed from a medical mystery. We always believed and never gave up hope. Alex lost the control and ability to do everything and as her mother I was helpless. We watched her walk her last step, take her last breath and speak her last word, but she never gave up! My heart broke for Alex and I felt like a failure not being able to save her. We spent years researching and trying to figure out what happened. We live in a small rural town and local Drs were petrified of her because she was so fragile and most of the time the critical cases were sent out. We have her twin to also think about. In March, 2010, we finally found out she had a gene mutation that caused her to have ALS. It is almost unheard of in a child. In all of our published research we have studied we believe Alex is the youngest this has happened to. Unfortunately, she lost her battle after 6 years of fighting on Valentine's Day, 2011. Her tissue was donated to the research in hopes they can build a model where stem cells will be created and lives can be saved. As far as we know Alex's tissue is the only human tissue they have to work with. She was a twin and a hero! People told us their lives were changed because of Alex. Hope and faith fall in between the lines as well! I promised Alex I would keep fighting and I would never give up! We will keep fighting until the whole world hears about "Alex's Army!!" We are working to pass legislation to help families in medical crisis and one day prayerfully start a horse therapy foundation in her honor. I have become friends with another mom who lost her 15 year old daughter to the same gene mutation. Her symptoms began after she received a gardisol shot. Alex never had the shot. Blessings!