Rebuilding Shattered Lives, One Bite at a Time - February 1, 2004

WOODLAND HILLS, California — From the sidewalk across from a peaceful suburban high school, gunshots pierced the stillness of an innocent afternoon. On September 9, 2003, three students of Taft High School in Woodland Hills, CA had been senselessly shot. A fifteen-year-old boy who was transported by helicopter to UCLA Medical Center will never forget the day that changed his life. Confined to a wheelchair as a result of paralysis, he struggles to rebuild a shattered life with help from his family and community.

Heartened by his unbroken spirit and determination to triumph in the face of adversity, teachers of Taft High School banded together early this year in a gesture of compassion to give the youngster and his family something they had not known since that fateful day: time to spend together as a family, free of the constant obstacles and tasks that make care taking a 24-hour job. With the assistance of Big City Chefs’ Chef Bryan Wang, these devoted educators helped arrange a personal chef service that would allow the family to enjoy a breather from their new lives.

Touched by the warmth of their gift, the boy personally called each of the contributors to thank them. According to one teacher who helped make the arrangements, “It was so touching to see how appreciative he and his family were for such a simple gesture.”