Susan Grieco/Herald
Susan Grieco/Herald
Sharing his hope with the young
By Marley Seaman
Officer Steven McDonald works hard to share his message. He travels in a wheelchair and needs a respirator to breathe, and has been that way for the last 20 years. But it's important to McDonald, a 23-year-veteran of the NYPD, that people to have hope.
"I just shared my story," McDonald said. "How I was shot and left in the situation everybody knows me to be in. But how I still have faith in God, and God has guided me all these years and showed me the only way forward is love and forgiveness."
On Nov. 29, McDonald shared his words with 13- and 14-year old confirmation candidates from Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Malverne, as well as their parents. The talk was given at the American Legion Hall on Franklin Avenue. McDonald stays very busy with those speaking engagements, traveling around Long Island to spread the word.
Twenty years ago, McDonald was shot in Central Park by a 15-year-old. His injuries left him a quadriplegic, but they did not dim his determination or his faith.
"I trust and hope," he said. "God knows what he wants from me, and I have a willing an open heart to his call. I try to share that with the kids, to have a willing, trusting and open heart to God's call."
Comments about this story? MSeaman@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 205.
