I thought you might like to hear this feel good story. It touches my heart so deeply. I want to cry for this man who has had to have such trials in his life but as you read the story you see that he has not had trials but has been blessed in his perspective. It is so wonderful to know that in a world of selfishness there are people out there that still want to give back, no matter the cost. I hope this year brings us all many blessings of Love and Happiness. enjoy...
A new hope for Washington Terrace husband, father and youth coach. He will have surgery to remove facial tumors today
By JaNae Francis (Standard-Examiner staff)
WASHINGTON TERRACE -- Maurice Simpson knows all too well that he has a face people don't forget.
Simpson, 33, is afflicted with neurofibromatosis, a rare genetic condition that causes tumors to grow on the right side of his face and head. The tumors get bigger over time.
He is disfigured by elongated tubular lesions hanging most noticeably from his eye socket and nose, leaving him with only one eye. His mouth slants at about a 45-degree angle, causing him to slur his words.
While a number of folks carry the genes for the disease, his family knows of only one other case as severe as his. But despite all that, Simpson's self-image couldn't be higher.
"I don't shy away from social interactions," said Simpson, the general manager of the Bountiful Arby's who has worked continuously in the food service industry. "I enjoy people and I want to interact."
But today, much of the continual reminder of his condition and barriers to such interactions could start to change for Simpson. Starting early this morning, he will undergo surgery at University of Utah Medical Center that could last as long as 12 hours and involve a dozen doctors. At least four specialists will contribute, he said.
The surgery, Simpson said, will not only change the shape of his face but could save his life as well. One of the tumors is encroaching on his brain.
"It makes me a little nervous, but the excitement is overshadowing my nervousness," Simpson said. "It's been so long (17 years) since I had surgery."
It's just one of a series of operations he'll undergo in the next few months to reconstruct his nose and maybe even his eye socket.
He said doctors are considering giving him a glass eye to give him a more regular appearance.
It's all been made possible by a generous donation from an area businessman who would like to remain anonymous.
"It's a touching gesture," said Simpson's dad, Willey Simpson, of Flint, Mich., who is visiting during the surgery and part of the recovery. "He is our angel."
Maurice Simpson's wife, Charity, said the philanthropist first saw her husband 10 years ago and was haunted by the image of his face and thoughts about how he could help him.
"He thought about it a long time," Charity said.
Then last spring, Simpson saw the man again when he was delivering 10 pizzas to his office complex.
Simpson remembers the meeting.
"I was trying to get the pizzas in and he said, 'Here, let me help you.' And he was the owner of the company."
Weeks later, Simpson's supervisor at the Roy Pizza Hut told him a man wanted to pay for him to have surgery and she'd already checked out the philanthropist to make sure he was legitimate.
Simpson doesn't remember ever having a normal-looking face. His mother, Brenda Simpson, said she discovered a problem with her child's eye when he was just 2 months old.
By the time she found the right specialists who could operate on her son, unusually large growths already had begun to jut out from his face.
Even after dozens of surgeries from that time until he was 15, mostly to remove the bulky parts of the tumors, Simpson said his appearance never changed all that much.
But despite his looks, Simpson said his parents raised him to feel good about himself.
"My self-esteem is pretty much out the roof because of my upbringing," Simpson said, recalling his parents telling him to be proud of who he was and putting him in special schools with kids who were worse off than him, who could be his friends.
"Don't be ashamed of who you are," Brenda still tells her son today. "Jesus Christ, people talk about him. No matter who you are, people talk about you."
But Simpson said doctors and surgeries in the past have taken away from his sense of self as specialists gave him false hope that the tumors would stop growing when he reached puberty or adulthood.
"I felt like there was a lot of broken promises from the doctors," Simpson said, explaining his decision as he approached adulthood to give up on surgeries and get on with his life.
Back then, the family had insurance that would pay for the work.
"We had insurance through General Motors," said Willey. "It was good insurance."
But despite that, the parents decided to listen to their son when he didn't want any more surgery 17 years ago.
"The tumors just kept coming back, coming back," Willey said. "When he decided he'd had enough, we decided he was old enough to decide for himself."
But Brenda said she has renewed hope in today's technology.
"The things they can do with medicine now, they can make it a lot more presentable," she said.
Today's surgery is largely cosmetic and not covered by insurance.
The family has not been involved in the finances behind the procedure and can only imagine the astronomical costs involved.
But they also understand the personal benefits of charitable service to be received by the donor, who they've met and have promised not to disclose.
"You can imagine how people would go to him once they find out he has money," Willey said.
In like fashion, Simpson has given his share of service by coaching boys and girls recreation and competition basketball teams in the city for the past 12 years.
He and his wife also have four children of their own
Simpson said his condition opens doors for him to be a positive influence on those he coaches.
"I find it makes it easier," he said. "I bond with them a little easier and I love it. ... I don't get any complaints."
Simpson recognizes the positive influence he has on others who don't share his challenges, as he holds his head up high every day and focuses on the abilities he has and not those he doesn't.
"I play in different basketball leagues," he said. "Adults know that I am playing and they'll bring their kids. Their kids will be saying 'Dad, he is so cool.'"
Simpson said a coach at a three-on-three basketball tournament paid him the highest compliment.
"He said, 'My kids are just sitting there amazed by your confidence,' " Simpson said.
It's those experiences that keep a smile on the left side of Simpson's face and the words of his father in his heart whenever he gets a negative reaction from those he meets.
"Sometimes the world can be cruel, but you gotta face it," Willey said.
And that's all Simpson wants to do, tumors or not
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