Jim and Debbie Perryman of Graham, Texas, adopted Grady when he was only 11 days old. While they were uncertain about the extent of Grady’s brain developmental delays, the couple was certain about one thing – they were called to love him as a son.
As a young child, Grady experienced seizures and struggled to keep up with other kids intellectually, especially in the areas of reading and writing.
Now 28, Grady is defying the odds. For the past two years, he has served alongside his father on seven different TBM Disaster Relief and Builders trips – something doctors never imagined would be possible. Despite the challenges he faces daily, Grady has discovered many ways he can use his vibrant personality and unique abilities to help others.
“Grady brings a healthy dose of lightheartedness to our job sites,” said Wayne Pritchard, TBM Builders coordinator. “He has adopted me and refers to me as ‘Uncle Wayne.’ I love having him around.”
Not only is Grady a beacon of light on the worksites with his contagious smile and sense of humor, but he is also a great help to the teams.
“The best task he does is being the gopher,” Jim said. “He loves helping the guys with tools, socializing and playing with local kids.”
Grady tends to make friends everywhere he goes and receives a lot of love and support from his church family at First Baptist Church in Graham. When he’s not on a TBM
jobsite, Grady enjoys playing sports – such as basketball and bowling – with his Special Olympics team.
“It’s really fun!” Grady said enthusiastically about TBM volunteer trips. “I enjoy doing it. I enjoy seeing all the guys there. I enjoy helping. I like to do whatever they need me to do.”
The father-son duo looks forward to many more TBM trips together, where they can bring help, hope and healing to those in need.