When Garreth Bell was asked in a school assignment in fourth grade who his hero was, he said his dad, Stephen.
Garreth had a question for his dad: Why are you in a wheelchair? The reason happened long before Garreth was born.
In 1992, Stephen was 22 years old when he woke up with extreme back pain between both shoulder blades. It turned out a blood vessel burst in his spine, paralyzing him from the chest down.
"I was in rehab for about two months and learning how to just, to live again. I gained a whole new perspective on the world," he said.
In his school assignment, Garreth wrote, "it's like he's still walking because he takes care of himself and the family."
Those words changed how the father of three felt about himself.
In an email to CBS News contributor David Begnaud, Stephen explained how much Garreth's words meant.
Son gives dad special memory
"When I read it, I felt seen for the first time in a long time. It was as if he understood what I had gone through and how I battled daily to continue to provide for our family regardless of the circumstances," Stephen wrote in his email.
The school assignment also shaped Garreth's future.
In his assignment, Garreth wrote, "Poppa, I've been watching you suffer my whole life. I should become someone who can do something about it so that others don't have to go through what you went through."
He ended up pursuing a path to help others, just like he planned. Garreth went to the University of Miami and became a physical therapist. He now helps to run adaptive beach days, helping people with disabilities get into the water.
Recently, one of the people he helped was his dad. For the first time in more than 25 years, Stephen felt the ocean on his skin with his son right beside him.
"They had to keep me from jumping out of the chair and swimming," Stephen said. "It was just like heaven for me."
"Biggest smile I'd ever seen"
Garreth said he was thankful for the special moment.
"The first little splash hits him and I just see probably the biggest smile I'd ever seen on his face in my entire life," he said about his dad.
Since the first swim, Stephen has been back several times. He said his son's compassion and empathy is what makes him stand out.
"I was surprised that he said that I'm his hero because looking back on it, if I had to say it again, I'd say I want to be like him when I grow up," Stephen said "I strive to be the person that he actually sees."
For Garreth, his childhood answer about who his hero is remains the same today.
"He taught me how to be a man. … He was my role model growing up, and he still is," he said.
David Begnaud loves uncovering the heart of every story and will continue to do so, highlighting everyday heroes and proving that there is good news in the news with his exclusive "CBS Mornings" series, "Beg-Knows America." Every Monday, get ready for moments that will make you smile or even shed a tear. Do you have a story about an ordinary person doing something extraordinary for someone else? Email David and his team at [email protected]
