04/18/13 1988 Plymouth High School Graduate, Brad James is in the running for a new handicap van thanks to his nephews Tyler and Logan Crum.   The brothers wrote an essay spelling out why their uncle Brad was their hero and entered it and him into a contest to win a new handicap van. 

Brad James lives in Lafayette now and is the father of three.  He is in a wheelchair because he suffers with multiple sclerosis.  His nephews; Tyler Crum a sophomore at Valparaiso University and Logan Crum a freshman at PHS wrote this essay:

What exactly is a hero? In my mind, a hero is someone who goes out of their way to help someone else. Heroes come in many shapes. These people may not risk their lives like a fireman or a soldier, but to many they’re still heroes that have changed the lives of the people who know them.
One of those heroes is my uncle Brad. My uncle has inspired me to try and reach my full potential in everything I do and never give up on something. He has also taught me to cherish the life I have and the people in it.
He hasn’t let his disease keep him from living his life to its fullest. He has always been a very supportive parent and even helped coach his sons little league baseball. His support doesn’t stop at his immediate family. He has always been one of my major supporters too, and not just for sports. Whenever he can he makes it to one of my track meets and that means the world to me, but the way he supports me the most is just by being himself. He does not let his handicap get in the way of living his life. He is always out and about whenever possible and constantly asks about my life and what is going on whenever I see him. He is quick to laugh and is constantly in a good mood. He is a good example to look up too.
My uncle tries to make his presence felt in the community. He regularly attends all his kids sporting events. Nobody in his community sees him as a man with a handicap. Instead they see him as a leader who is not afraid to voice his opinion and is always ready to take charge whenever it is needed.
My Uncle Brad is a hero to me and many others because he does not let a disease as awful as MS ruin his life. Instead he tries to make the most out of his life and not let anything get him down. To me, his family, and many others he is an inspiration to remind us to never give up no matter how bad things seem. He will forever be a hero to me and my family.

There are a couple hundred nominations on line and the winners are determined by the number of on-line votes they receive.  Please go to the site and vote for him. http://www.mobilityawarenessmonth.com    Click enter to vote on the right hand side of the page.  Under find a local hero, enter his name BRAD JAMES and vote!  You can vote once every 24 hours from an IP address.

The National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association is awarding three deserving “Local Heroes” with a wheelchair accessible vehicle tailored to meet their needs through this online contest. Sponsors include, Chrysler Automobility, SanTan Honda and Toyota Mobility, who are providing the vehicles, which will be customized by NMEDA manufacturers – BraunAbility and Vantage Mobility International (VMI).