04x02 - Disabled but Not Really

[bunniefuu]

♪ Move in the wind ♪

♪ Let's enjoy how it all begins ♪

♪ Yeah, yeah ♪

♪ Oh, my gosh, Bobby ♪

♪ Who are we doing this week? ♪

♪ We are doing Wesley ♪

-Cute!

So, Wesley is 30 years old,
and he is from Kansas City, Missouri.

-He is a community activist.
-Love an activist.

-Love an activist that's giving back.
-Birds of a feather.

Wesley is a single father
to a ten-year-old girl named Nevaeh.

Which is "heaven" spelled backwards.

-I love that.
- Cute.

Um, he was nominated by his mama,
Dawn Henderson.

I am nominating Wesley
because he's an awesome young man.

Woo!

He made it when I didn't think he could.

Come on, Mike. A little faster, baby.

Wesley started a foundation to give
awareness of people with disabilities.

Disabled But Not Really.

We do programs based on
fitness and nutrition

that helps instill
a physical limitless mindset.

He doesn't let
that chair define who he is.

I became a bad boy at a young age.

I remember wanting to fit in,

wanting to look like everybody else.

And being inspired and motivated by

the only role models I could,
which were drug dealers in my community.

I was gonna live my life
as reckless as I could,

because I knew that

eventually I was gonna die
or I was gonna go to jail.

Five days after my 24th birthday,

I was sh*t multiple times in my abdomen.

They turned to me...

and said,

"He's paralyzed from the waist down".

That was the worst day of my life.

Two years of bedridden.
Just up a couple of hours a day.

I cried so much.

I remember many nights
of just b*ating my legs up

because I just thought
they were worthless.

I hated myself.

I couldn't be seen

as this guy with a disability.

Wesley lashed out.

I just knew I couldn't leave his side.

Hey, Daddy.

Hey. How was school?

Good.

It's been a rough ride

for seven years.

I just want his life to be easy,

just to be independent,

and not have to rely on anybody.

Actually, do the green beans.

I found strength in my weakness.

My daughter, she used to say

it was my Superman chair.

So, I gotta be Superman.

I work out seven days a week.
I love working out.

Like, I love working out.

Lost a hundred pounds
while I was on bed rest.

And I could never lose weight
when I was walking.

He's improved so much and he came so far.

But I believe there is

some things that Wesley's
still holding in.

People look at me and say,
"Still the same Wes."

I'm ready to let go of my old life...

and grow into my new.

Wesley is attending a social mixer
at the end of the week.

It's a fundraiser for his non-profit
that's called Disabled But Not Really.

Yes, yes! Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!
♪ Yes! ♪

-All right, guys, our mission this week--
-Is to get Wesley to take his shirt off

and take very many gorgeous
Instagram pictures.

Or...

It's to make him feel free
in both his heart and home.

-Yeah.
-Aw! There we go.

♪ Oh, things just keep getting better ♪

♪ Can we finish what we started? ♪

Oh, great job pulling in, Tan.

-Thank you.
-Wow.

- Ready, kids?
- Yeah, just fixing myself.

- Come on, Karamo.

Whoa. That can't be safe.

- Hello there, beautiful.
- Hi.

- How are you?
-Can I come in?

Hi, I'm Bobby. Can I have a hug?

-How y'all doing? What's going on?
-Bobby. Nice to meet you.

If five grown-ups ever come
to the door like that...

-Don't let us in.
-Don't let 'em in.

How you doing?

-How you doing?
-Like, the most gorgeous hair

-just runs in this family.
-I know.

Wesley has the biggest,

brightest smile ever.

You look at Wesley, you start smiling,
'cause you're like, "I wanna smile, too."

So, this is my front room.

- Clean. Tidy.
- It's really clean.

'Cause if it was stuff in the way
I'd be rolling over stuff all day.

What's the NPC Wheelchair Championship?

Uh, bodybuilding.

I did win first place, you know.

Yeah, I'm with it.

Do you now that he does pull-ups
with his chair?

I can't even do a pull-up
without extra 30 pounds.

I can barely do a set
with my own body weight.

Nobody's believing that.

It seems like it's hard for you
to maneuver around this room...

- It is.
-...to get stuff.

Like, there's hats over here.
How are you getting around?

So, this is, like, very handy.

- Oh, yeah.
-I normally just grab,

-and then, normally, hangers fall, too.
-Yep.

Then when I'm ready to put it back,
it don't go back.

So, actually, I'll just set it down
on the floor.

Wesley doesn't need anybody
to do anything for him.

-Have you ever burnt yourself on here?
-I have burnt myself.

-Yeah.
-And this is how I cut it on.

But everything in this house

makes him struggle more than he needs to.

- Wanna see how I go in and out?
-Yeah.

I go in...

I never go toward the mirror

-because I can't get up there.
-Okay.

Um, and this is how I get out.

So...

-Like, literally, I cannot turn around.
-You can't turn in there at all.

-There's no turn.
-Okay.

We had our little election at my school,
my old school.

Who won at your school?

-Clinton.
-She did?

-Yes! Two high-five.
-But...

But then, Tr*mp had to go ahead.

Like, at my school,
there's rumors going around.

Like, he voted himself.

Secretly voted himself.

You heard it here first.

I love to cook.

Like, what's the thing
that you're not able to do right now

in the kitchen that you would love to?
Like, what's the dream?

Maybe cooking more of a variety of foods.

We want health to be the focus.

Yeah, 'cause if I didn't eat right,

I still would be the overweight,
depressed Wesley.

-You know, food is medicine.
-But-- It's medicine!

Doesn't it make you a happier person
when you eat a good meal

-versus, like, a food coma?
-It do.

I've gotta disagree.

-I love a carb.
-This is not an example.

America, embrace the carbs.

I love a carb.

-You have the little angel and the devil

-on each of your shoulders right now.
-I'm clearly the angel.

Because I get to eat what I want.

What are your food weaknesses?

Mine's cake. What's yours?

-Mine is, like, butter and cheese.
-Okay, butter.

Hot Cheetos.

-Oh, my God, I love a Hot Cheeto.

Can I keep on creeping in your kitchen?

-Go ahead.
-Perfect.

Before we get into your closet,
a little birdie tells me that you were...

a bad boy.

When I was growing up, I was bad.

Rippin' and runnin' the streets,

and the only thing I could do
was sell dr*gs.

That was my environment.
That's what I seen.

Did you dress like you were a bad boy?

I didn't dress up
before my accident.

You're more mature.

You now are the head of this organization
that you've created.

So, now I'm assuming it is important
for you to dress a different way

because you need to represent. No?

I want something to match my maturity.

I'm trying to figure out what's Wesley.

Is there anything that you think,
"I can't wear that,"

or, "I don't wear that
because it's restrictive"?

-I'm not a fan of jackets.
-Okay.

-The reason why is because the wheels.
-Gets caught in the wheels.

-If it's raining...
-Yeah.

...then, next thing you know,
my jacket is completely--

it's filthy on the sides
'cause the wheels get wet.

Would you like to wear a jacket?

I would love to wear a jacket.

You might be the person
that helps me figure out what my look is.

-No, not might. I'm sorry, you misspoke.
-Oh!

I am the person.

So, how long have you been rocking
your gorgeous braids and beard?

The last time I had my hair cut
was the day I got sh*t.

And I feel like I'm holding onto that day.

-Yeah.
-Because I prefer someone saying,

"How long have you been growing
your hair?"

And I'm like, "Man, maybe a couple years."
But instead when you ask me,

I'm automatically gonna say,
"The day I was sh*t."

So, it's always bringing that memory back.

-Been six years.
-Babe, I'm...

Man, but it was the best thing
that ever happened to me.

Sorry I felt your bicep
when you were telling your story.

-Hi.
-Hi. Are you Dawn?

-I'm Dawn.
-Antoni. It's so nice to meet you.

Hi, Antoni. How you doing?

-Lovely to meet you. Aren't you fabulous?
-Love that jacket.

Oh, thank you so much.

Come sit with us.

Thank you for nominating him.

He's a gem.

I'm very proud of Wesley,

'cause he could've made this
and went left.

It was very hard to accept that
two years out of that,

he was bedridden, right in there.

He's 240 pounds and I had to lift him up

and get him in the tub
so he can take a bath,

and then try to figure out how
I'm gonna get him out of this tub.

It's still hard today.

Coming over to do laundry
because it's in the basement.

I don't really wanna come over
and do that, but I have to.

I just want things to be better for him,

you know, so I don't have to worry.

I've matured up so much.

I actually figured out
who I was through this process.

And even though, like, I love my hair,

when people see me, they see the old me.

They don't see the new me.
The only thing new is the beard.

Please don't make me get rid of him.

-No, I love my beard. I love it.
-Because I love him.

What I hear you saying is, like,

your hair look hasn't evolved with, like,
your inside as much.

So you just want a little baby change,
and I'm so here for that.

-So, let's change it. Yeah.
-I'm excited.

All right.

That had to have been hard for you.

You gave up your life for seven years.

Uh, it was a really rough.

Really rough.

I lost my relationship.

I lost my house,

just to make sure I could provide
for the things that he needed.

You did it.

And I don't ask for anything.
I don't ask for no help.

I just do it.

Has he ever said thank you?

He don't have to say thank you.

It's what I would have did anyway.

- Mm.

You are an amazing, amazing mother.

He's such a straight boy,

isn't he?

-Oh, my.
-He sure is.

-How are you?
-I'm great.

I'm glad to finally spend some time
with you.

I see this Wesley,

and this Wesley is smiling,

happy, amazing.

And I kind of wanna know about
the Wesley before this Wesley.

You know, um,

I grew up on the East Side of Kansas City.

I mean, it was gangs, dr*gs.

I remember dropping out of school,
you know, riding around with g*ns.

I mean, I was happy
when I made it past 21.

I actually celebrated it
like the president's election.

-Yeah.
-Twenty-one, baby.

-We there.
-Yeah.

So, when I got sh*t at 24,

even though I had all these regrets
while I was laying on that ground,

I mean, I was like,
"Man, at least I made it this far."

Yeah.

Before the moment happened
when you got sh*t,

did you...

did you feel like,
"Okay, there's something going down"?

I was there, you know,
talking to a ex-girlfriend,

and, I mean, me and her had
maybe a hostile conversation,

but she had a friend over.

I was actually walking back to my car.

And moments after that,

that friend's friend sh*t me.

So, for me, it was more like,
"Why did it even happen?"

Did you ever get answers from him

or her or anyone?

No, um...

The guy that sh*t me did time,
but he's out now.

I never got answers. No.

But I didn't seek 'em either.

I mean, you weren't perfect.

-Right.
-Yeah, hearing your story,

-and I can hear some gaps in there.
-Yeah.

It doesn't make any of us feel good
to sit in life

still questioning why something happened.

I want that understanding of what I did
that put me in this position.

After talking to Wesley and his mom,

I realize there's been a lot of growth,
but not a lot of healing.

I'mma let know right now
that if Jonathan cuts your hair,

I'm going to pick it up off the ground

and sew it to my head.

-I'm just letting you know right now.
-Hey, man.

I've never had a weave.

This'll be my first.

Did someone say they've
never had a weave?

-I did.
-Emergency!

-I've never had a weave.

It's gonna be a frickin' awesome week.

So, how do you feel like
we can help you?

Um...

I was--

You know, I was paralyzed, uh,
close to seven years ago,

and I figured out who I was
through this process.

And I want you guys

to help me become the man I am today.

Tell us a bit about
the end of this week.

We're having, like,
a rooftop social for my non-profit.

It's all about just awareness.

When I say "Disabled But Not Really,"

I'm proud to say it

because I'm living every part of that.

- Yeah!

♪ Let the rhythm take you tonight ♪

♪ We can work it out
Under all the lights ♪

♪ Get on the floor
And just let go... ♪

Wesley is in a place of acceptance,

he's in a place of self-love.

We are going to create a physical change

that matches the inside
to who he sees on the outside.

There's an old saying
that clothes maketh the man,

and so I wanna find options

that make him look more refined,

make him look more professional,

just a more polished version of Wesley.

His home was not built
for somebody who uses a chair.

I wanna make sure
that Wesley's entire home

is comfortable and works for him.

♪ And all them stars come out
When you're movin'... ♪

Wesley's life is eating healthy,

but I wanna teach Wes how to look
at his food a little differently,

flavored a little differently.

I just wanna expand his palate.

Wesley has worked very hard
to create a better life for himself,

but he hasn't truly put his past
behind him yet.

And if I'm really gonna be able
to set him off on a new path,

he has to get clarity about that night.

Hello.

Hey, Wes, what's going on, man?
It's Karamo.

What's going on, man?

I was thinking of a way
that I could help you,

but I need your blessing.

Hit me with it.

You ever heard of something called
Disabled But Not Really?

No, I have not.

So, I train, uh, different people, uh,
at a CrossFit gym locally.

Look me up and let's-- let's connect.

-Nice meeting you.
-You too.

I wanna spend some time with Wesley

out about in the city
to see what works for him,

what doesn't work for him.

They got this fantastic button
they made for me.

For you?

-Welcome to my happy place.
-Hi, baby.

-How's it going?
-It's my happy place.

Your happy place, too, actually.

We're gonna grab a few things
to make dinner later.

♪ We'll just keep on livin'... ♪

We're gonna roll up
right over here and get spices.

So, we're gonna grab one of these.
Do you cook with turmeric?

I do. I can't reach up there,

so a lot of my stuff at home

is just the same stuff
because it's easier to grab.

But it's especially frustrating
hearing that

because you don't wanna be doing
the exact same thing all the time

because that kinda gets boring.

You wanna, sorry for lack of
a better word, spice things up, right?

I never thought about the fact that

more than half of what's
in a grocery store

is not accessible to somebody in a chair.

In this situation,

I'll be the man that eats nothing
but sweet potatoes

'cause it's right here.

I wanna make sure

that everything in his kitchen
is fully accessible

so he can really do what he loves,
which is cook.

♪ We fight the good fight ♪

♪ There's no need to waste it anymore ♪

All right, so we have everything we need.

-Let's cook!
-Let's cook.

We're making a simple
but healthy meal with chicken and veggies.

Food has completely changed
Wes' body, his way of life.

It's how he lost 100 pounds.

He's been eating really healthy foods,

but there hasn't been an evolution
into learning new techniques

and delving into different ingredients.

I love a rotisserie chicken,
and you can use it in different ways,

and I'm gonna show you, like, a slightly
different way of doing that now.

We're just gonna dress it up a little,
and, boom,

you got yourself a healthy,
delicious chicken salad.

- All right.
-I need all the meat from this little guy

basically put into here.

So, I'm just doing a rough chop like this.

Our dear sweet friend cilantro.

Lemon. We need acid in here now.

This is a head of garlic,

and inside, we have the cloves.

- So, that's a garlic clove.
- That's a clove of garlic.

Now, this is the fun part.

-Try it again.

Look, you take it out
and you have all your skin off.

Oh, my God, I seen this on,
like, a cooking channel,

and it looked so much harder
than what it just was.

Exactly.

And then, you just start to chop.

Oh...

We're gonna make a bit of a garlic paste.

With your Kn*fe like so,

you just slide it across.

Yeah.

So, were you passionate about food
before the accident at all?

Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese.

-It's a newfound love for you.
-Yeah.

This chair empowers me in ways
that I was never empowered walking.

A lot of people would always say like,
"Man, Wes was mean."

Really?

-I never smiled before I was paralyzed.
-Yeah.

And now that even though people
might see, like, physical limitations,

it's just became so much better.

It's pretty incredible how

sometimes you have to go through
something really terrible and traumatic

to have such a profound respect,

and to turn it into your life's work.

So, how do you cook
your sweet potatoes typically?

'Cause you love sweet potatoes.

-I just bake 'em.
-So what's nice, what we're gonna do here,

we're gonna roast, we're gonna get them
nice and crispy.

I can't wait.

-We gotta get a little bit of fat.
-Okay.

I'm just gonna drizzle a bit of olive oil,
and then we're gonna put some turmeric.

Nice anti-inflammatory properties.

Play around.
You have tons of spices at home.

Smells good already.

Now, spaghetti squash.

So, my father--
actually, a nurse at his hospital,

has maple trees,
and she makes her own maple syrup.

Have a little try.

This is gonna help caramelize
nicely along.

Are you even paying attention
to me right now?

Oh, my God. I've never--

Boom!

Now you try and get fancy with me.

-I need to be fancy with you.

Cheers.

Oh, my God.

This...

-is amazing!

It is so good! It's so good!!

I've never seen somebody more excited
about food than me.

I've officially met my match.

Is this your reaction to food
whenever you eat it, typically?

Right now, it's so overwhelming because...

these are things that I wanted to learn,

I just didn't know how to do it myself.

Though, thank you.

-You're very welcome.

Oh, his plate
is about to be gone!

- Oh, my God!

♪ Clap your hands to the music ♪

♪ Clap your hands now ♪

♪ DJ gonna play your favorite
b*at, b*at, b*at, yeah ♪

♪ And when we drop it
Ain't no way to stop it ♪

♪ And when we drop it
Ain't no way to stop it ♪

♪ Five, four, three, two ♪

♪ This is how we drop it
On the one... ♪

-Talk to me.
-Yay! The washer and dryers came in.

-Grab bars.
-Yay.

-Those are going in today.
-Perfect.

I wanted to make sure that
in every aspect of Wesley's life at home,

he had complete and full independence.

-We're lowering the bed, too, right?
-Yeah.

- Awesome sauce.
- Got it?

-I'm gonna let you back up.
-You said you're gonna push me?

Do you want me to push you?

-After you, sir.
-Thank you.

-Okay.
-This is nice.

This is ULAH. I love this store,
I've been in a few times,

so I kinda wanted to bring you in
and show you exactly what they've got.

I know that it's important for you
to be comfortable,

but you also mentioned that you do
wanna look a lot more dressed up,

especially because
of Disabled But Not Really.

I wanna get you to that point.

But you have very specific requirements
that will affect your wardrobe.

You, more than most people,

will have have to get to know a tailor
very well.

But first,

I wanna see how you would shop.

I'm lost in here when it comes to anything
that I'm not used to.

What's behind there?

Yeah, like, what if I had, like, a...
a burgundy jacket?

I'm thinking maybe some blue jeans.

This is nice.

You say you're lost,
but you just put a full look together.

You've got the eye, but now I wanna show
you how to make that work for you.

Awesome.

Are you nervous at all? Hesitant at all?

Yeah, I haven't been in a fitting room
since I was paralyzed.

Really? Why?

What would take someone else maybe,
like, two, three minutes

might take me ten, 15 minutes.

But, I mean, I wouldn't
be uncomfortable right now.

Like, I don't wanna just say,
"Oh, this is Wes, this is what I do."

Let's get you in here.
Let's try some stuff on.

Wesley has done all he can
to get to a position in his life

that he's happy with,

but he knows that to get to the next step,

he needs to be vulnerable,
he needs to open up.

Wesley, how you doing?
How you getting along?

Oh, just putting pants on.

-Okay. Do you need any help at all?
-Nope.

And now he's letting us in so we can help
the finesse of the final part.

-Check me out.

It's more put together.

I do wanna throw on a jacket

to show you just how you can
dress it up even more.

Ooh!

-Who knew you could look like this?
-Who knew I could like this?

Yeah!

I like it.

When you're feeling yourself,
you carry yourself in a different way.

And you're clearly feeling yourself
right now.

Give me your best model roll.

Yes! Oh, yeah!

Oh, yeah!

Oh! I was certainly not expecting
the hair to come out!

Yes!

- And spin it.

Get outta here.

All right, get back in there.

Oh, my. Oh, my. Oh, my. Okay.

Here I know it's baggier, so I'm gonna
make it tighter on the inside here,

but also on here.

The shirt is an easy fix.

All we're gonna do is get it cropped,

so it's not gonna cause you any issues
over your wheels.

To make it that much shorter,

not even $10.

This is good. I'm just--
Yeah, this is exciting.

I mean, even going in and actually

getting dressed in a dressing room,

it wasn't as hard as I made it seem.

Like, I could roll out of here right now
and just like...

-This is me. This is the new me.

You have more confidence

than most people we meet.

You just needed us to give you,
like, the little kiss of something more.

I think, like, the confidence
you guys have is amazing.

Was it hard to get there?

Uh, I didn't actually come out
to some of my family members

until after this show aired.

And when I first told
some family members...

Sorry.

I really struggled, and...

and it knocked my confidence a lot.

It-- It's not easy for me
to be able to say,

"This is me. This is what I represent."

It's a process, and you will know this
better than anybody.

Some days, it's really hard.

And then I remembered that I'm in
a position to be able to influence people,

and you are in the same position.

You know, I haven't been around
five gay guys, you know, just ever.

Yeah.

Um, but have you been around like

-five people with disabilities?
-No.

I teach people with disabilities
that it's okay to seek to be different

and be comfortable within your own skin.

That's just what I got from you right now.

I truly appreciate you even sharing it.

It's awesome.

-Hug?
-Yes!

-Yes, I can give you a hug.

It was good.

I mean, I literally just heard myself
through you right now.

♪ Seize the day... ♪

Okay, here we are.
Let me get the door for you.

♪ It can never bring you down ♪

♪ You go and do it anyway ♪

I know that when we spoke at your house,
you were, like,

we are ready for, like,
an outside transformation, it feels like.

I wanted something to match my maturity.

Um, I just have a look that

I've always had since the day I got sh*t.

So, to me, I need to let go and start new.

In my mind, I was thinking like Drake-ish.

I'm down with that.

Wait, but that's only one half
of the consultation.

'Cause the other consultation
is your beard.

What about my beard?

I feel like the shape of it
is giving me...

a fan...

-instead of circular.
-Should it be that short?

If you can read newspaper
through the ends,

that doesn't scream health and vitality.

That screams, "I'm holding onto something
that I don't wanna let go,"

which is like the opposite
of what we're doing here.

You are giving me an eye roll right now,

like a client that does not wanna
cut their hair a little shorter.

No, I'm good.

Do you like your wispy-kins?

Yeah, but I'm with that.
Man, I'm so ready.

I actually am gonna have a barber
help me out 'cause, like...

Is fading my number one forte?

-No.

It's all about accentuating
your strengths.

Clippers is not my truth.

And so I'm like, "Tahki, girl."

It's his truth.

-That beard is so amazing.
-We gotta talk about the beard.

Not so many people can even
grow their beard like that.

I want his beard to mimic
a little bit more of his jaw shape.

Wesley has such a strong face
and such handsome features,

I know his confidence
is just gonna be like...

"Yes. Look at my arms. Look at my vision.

Look at how smart I am. Let's go."

Surprise. Ah!

Hey, what's up?

I'mma leave her for a little bit, okay?

I got it. Babysitter.

-Ah, sounds good.
-Babysitter. Bye, love you to pieces.

Bye, Queen Love.

Are you ready for this moment?
Do you know what we're about to do?

Well, Dad is about
to get his hair cut off.

Are you scared?

He's gonna look just like your dad
but with shorter hair.

Sometimes you just need change,

and I'm ready for it.

-Wesley, my man, are you ready?
-I'm ready.

I'm not ready at all.

- Okay?
- No turning back.

-He's gonna look so handsome.
-I'm not looking.

No more shake.

Will you just get this little girl's
gorgeous little hair washed for me

-and then we're gonna style her up.
-Absolutely.

When we were cutting those off
I felt you were like--

That felt like a moment.

I want it to be normal,

and I thought, like, having that same look

would make me feel like who I used to be.

And now, since I've embraced

-who I am...
-You're, like, proud of it.

...it feels free.

Wes was dealt a very difficult pill
to swallow,

and he swallowed that gorgeous pill,
turned it into a multivitamin,

and he wants to see that reflection
in the mirror instead of

the Wesley who he's kind of been carrying
with him this whole time.

That is gorgeous acceptance.

He looks like Drake.

She said I look like Drake!

You wanna see your hair?

Look at that.

Looking very beautiful.

-You ready to see the whole new you?
- Yep.

Three, two, one...

Hey!

That's what I'm talkin' 'bout.

Oh, I like the beard.

See how it's actually stronger
by making it a bit shorter?

-I reached out to Maurice.
-Mm-hmm.

And...

Maurice is willing to meet with you.

That night is critical
in who you are as a man.

But there's still little holes for you

that I'm noticing that, like,
have to get fixed and get plugged.

So, I've set up an opportunity
for Wesley to meet Maurice,

the man who sh*t him.

Because there's still
a lot of things in Wesley's mind

that he doesn't understand
about this night.

And hopefully

he can finally close that chapter,

and begin to go to the next chapter
of his life.

You said you've never had
a conversation with him.

I didn't really wanna approach, you know?

Like, I knew people
that possibly knew him, and...

coulda had set up something long time ago,

but I was living this life of positivity.

Last thing I wanted to do
was be in a negative mindset

because someone maybe felt something

'bout going to jail for five, six years.

-Man, I'm just trying to live my life.
-Yeah.

You are not alone.

Like, I'm here to support you.

So, as for you to be able to say,

"Well, what was I doing in that space?"

Understandable.

You gotta always think, like,

you'll be looking at a man
that tried to take your life.

I just don't want my emotions
to get over me.

Like, people assume
that forgiveness is a destination,

not realizing it's a journey
that continues all throughout your life.

Right.

I feel like I can handle it.

-What up with it, man?
-How's it going?

-Karamo.
-Karamo?

-Yeah.
-Maurice.

-Nice to meet you, man.
-You too.

First of all, thank you again
for you being here.

Thank you for you
being willing to do this.

I just am here for...

to help you all navigate
this conversation,

but this is your time.

So, sort of ask whatever questions,
get clarity.

You kinda don't know why
and what happened that night.

That day,

I'd only seen you for a second.

I was literally walking back to my car
and leaving.

We never had, like, a conversation
or, like, a altercation.

You don't believe that...

...you done anything to warrant
what happened?

No, like, I know that--

I mean, I just know who I was before.

I don't wanna go back and forth
to make it like a,

you know, whose fault this was,
whose fault that was.

I don't wanna do that.

To give you some kind of clarity
on my perspective of what happened,

when I get there,

I see your partner

and your, uh, woman at the time
or whatever like that,

arguing.

So, I understand that my actions
and my feelings

and my emotions
probably took the best of me that day,

but it was still more or less like,

"Why you?"

I seen you bucking up to my cousin.

You know what I'm saying?
And he told me that you had a p*stol.

And your partner, I see his p*stol.

He got a 30-round magazine hanging out.

And I'd seen him back and forth going,

and I'm like,
"Damn, all this over a bitch?"

That's when you started
to come over towards me.

You know how the streets are.
You know, I can't see yours.

In my mind, you got the p*stol, too.

I'm like, "Man, look,
I'm not going for that.

I can't, you know what I'm saying,
risk me getting sh*t or getting--"

You know what I'm saying?
So, what happened, happened.

It's crazy

to hear it now.

We lived in a place where...

we all strap.

You know, we don't care as long as we
trying to protect somebody that we love.

I could understand
why you did what you did.

If it was the other way around,

I probably would react
the same way you did.

I didn't imagine you seeing it from that--
from that perspective, like...

It was no malice in my heart.

Wes, do you need an apology?

I don't--

I don't think it's necessary
for a apology.

I'd prefer not you to feel sorry.

I thank you...

for me being, like, in this position.

I don't even feel bad energy from you.

That's crazy.
I was thinking the same thing.

I'm like, "Man."

I'm actually empowered by the life
that I was given

that day.

I've had a lot of time to grow.

I'm definitely
in a better space,

you know, just striving to be the man
that I know I can be.

We are two black men,

and...

we're doing something that...

they don't want us to do.

And that is forgive each other,

but also uplift each other.

I found purpose in my situation,

and it seems like you did, too.

Like I said, I was planning on doing
great things from here on out, man.

Hopefully we can both do
some great things.

Hey, man,
I see we can do it probably together, man.

-True.
- I agree with you.

I have a feeling that this is just
the beginning of a bigger purpose

that I don't even think y'all knew.

Hey, man. I'm with it.

-I appreciate you, bro.
-Thank you.

-My son.
-I appreciate you.

Wow.

How was that? Good?

Wow.

It was really, really liberating.

I'm like...

having all these mixed emotions.

Like, I looked at a man that sh*t me,

-and told him "thank you."
-Mm.

And now I can be the Wesley Hamilton
that I always wanted to be.

♪ If I was you, I'd be dying to be ♪

♪ The reflection of the person
That you're seeing in me ♪

♪ Like I was born on the moon
But I'm conceived by the sea ♪

♪ And I won't concede
Until I'm achieving my dreams ♪

♪ I'm flyin' home, home ♪

♪ Home, home ♪

Are you excited
to see the house?

I feel like I'm all
wrapped out of excitement,

but I know it's still in there.

What?

Oh!

No! Is that my crib?

Yeah!

Oh, look at his hair!

- Oh, my gosh.
- Is this my house?

-Can we talk about how handsome you look?
-Oh, my God. Look at this ramp!

So much room.

-You look awesome.
-Hello.

-Good to see you.
-What's up?

Oh, my God, I smell flowers.

- Flowers!
- Right? We landscaped, painted.

Now you can see who's at the front door
from your phone.

- That's what that's for?
-Yeah.

I'm never opening the door!

- You ready for more?
- I am ready.

No! What?

Hey!

Dude!

Hey, this is nice!

-Do I got a washing machine?
- Yeah!

I moved it upstairs,
so now you get to do your own laundry.

-Great. Oh, man.
-That is actually really sweet.

I'mma wash clothes every day.

I got it!

This is all, like...

I'm very overwhelmed right now.

Aw.

What?! What?! No--

Hey, no!

Now, who house is this?

- Dude.
- I know.

Yeah!

Oh, my God.

Hey, you put the microwave
to my height.

Hold on.

No cabinets up top, man!

That's what I'm talking about.

Now I don't feel challenged.

And I gave you an induction stove.

It only gets hot
when other metal is touching it.

This, this, this is amazing.

Oh, man!

I got a mirror! I can look at myself?

I put our bathroom mirror
at an angle

so that you can finally see yourself.

It did not dawn on me
that you could mathematically do this.

Before, the footprint that it was,
we couldn't.

We took a wall out of the kitchen,

moved the dining room over
and expanded this.

-It's double the size that it was.

Oh, man.

This gives me so much independence.

I can actually feel like a normal person

where they go into their bathroom,
get themselves together.

I mean...

And it looks nice.

-This my room?!
-This is your room.

This is my room.

I love it.

A lowrider bed.

They got hydraulics now, baby!

Ooh!

Now I can feel comfortable,
like, sitting or reading.

I gotta see myself in this mirror, though.

Yeah, you do.

-Yeah.
-Right?

-This is me.
-Full-length mirror.

Woo-hoo!

So, what has this week been like for you?

It has gave me the fresh start
that I was always looking for,

but didn't know exactly how to do it.

Yeah. I gotta tell you,
yesterday was probably, for me,

the most powerful, most impactful moment.

It lifted weight off of my shoulders.

It was a need,
not only to free me completely,

but to put me in a position
to be this new me.

Now I'm looking at life, like,

ten steps ahead instead
of feeling like something's behind me.

Forgiveness is something
that is contagious,

and freedom is something
that's contagious.

You can pass that on.

I want my mom to...

release all that pain, all that struggle.

I want her to be the woman that I knew...

two hours before I was sh*t.

I just thought I couldn't give her
as much as she's gave me.

You know, it's like it's so many things

that's gonna be lifted off
her shoulders today.

-She's gonna be free.
- Yeah.

You know, we always put in our minds
that we wanna do a lot more

to sort of match
what someone else has done.

But sometimes it's as easy
as just saying,

-"Thank you."
-Mm-hmm.

I don't now why I feel like an old n*gro
spiritual should be coming on right now.

I don't sing, but I feel like-- Right?

You found freedom! You found freedom!

♪ Lift every voice ♪

♪ And sing ♪

Yes, that's quite lovely, but, see,
Karamo, I can't hear you sing anymore.

Come on, Wesley,
I'm gonna get you dressed.

- This is nice.
-It's nice, right?

First of all, I know that Bobby's
lowered this

so you can easily access all your clothes.

I've got you an outfit for tonight.

You are the face of the foundation,

so I wanted to make sure
that you are looking right.

-I'm excited.
-Okay, good.

Because I've got a beautiful suit for you.

It was made especially for you.

The pants have an elasticated waist
at the back

so it's easy to get on, easy to get off.

And then the jacket,

it's gonna look like it's super,
super short.

But once it's on,
it's gonna hit the perfect point.

How powerful will it look

to not only have something
that everyone else wears,

-but it complements...
- Yeah.

-...my disabled-but-not-really-ness?
- Yeah.

Absolutely.

Is the new Wesley Hamilton
ready to try on a new outfit?

Yes.

I wonder what he's gonna look like.

-You boys ready to see this look?
- Yeah!

Okay. The new, new, new Wesley,
will you please roll in?

- Yeah!
- Nice.

Hey!

Check me out. Hold on.

-I love it!
-Wes, are you feeling yourself?

-Oh, yeah.

Do I have separation anxiety from being
able to see your biceps? Maybe.

You can still see the width of the g*ns
through that.

This was a jacket that was much longer.

We've cropped it down to make sure
that it fits over his wheels correctly.

You would never know that it has
all been altered to make sure it fits.

- Not at all.
- Not at all.

I didn't have the courage
to make this change.

I was able to see, like, you guys

embrace your reality,

which made me so comfortable about me
embracing mine.

I had sunk into a place
where I just wanted to adapt.

You guys didn't adapt anything.

You taught me the true meaning
of being yourself.

I can't do nothing but thank
all of you for that.

I don't think any of us
were bracing ourselves

enough for what we learned
from you this week.

The way that you look at things,
I think, is so admirable.

I feel like I got just as much
from my time with you as vice versa,

and so I just wanna say keep doing you,
I am so about it.

The event tonight is gonna be amazing.

It's gonna be new people
that I've never met.

It's gonna be friends.

It's gonna be family.

But I'mma actually roll in there
with the confidence

to represent my brand in a way
I've never represented it before.

Well, you're not quite ready.

You've gotta change your outfit first
and you're gonna look sharp as hell.

We should probably get out of here
and let you get changed.

Can we group hug? Little one?

- Yeah.
- Come here.

-Come on in.
-Come here, baby.

I'll just take care
of these shoulders back here. Yeah!

Thank y'all.

- Bye.
-Thank you for everything.

- Have fun, babe.
- Keep it up.

♪ I'm feeling good, I'm feeling right ♪

♪ Aviator status
We have to book a flight ♪

♪ We outta here, out, out
We outta here ♪

♪ Grab your bag and your purse
We outta here ♪

Gentlemen, would you like to join us?

- Yeah.
-I'm just cooking up a little breakfast.

I feel like it's like my daddies
are making me breakfast!

I've never had scrambled eggs
with gummies in it.

So, we made these, like,
little turmeric coffees with ginger

-and cinnamon and honey.
-Yummers!

Oh, my little Bruley is so tired.

Come here, baby boy.

Oh.

Who's ready to watch
one of our most inspirational heroes ever?

-Yeah.
-Let's watch Wesley.

- Aw!
- Aw!

I love him in this look.

Have you done
a French tuck this season?

-Yes, bitch.
-Ah!

-Oh, my.
-Oh, my God.

Oh, my God.

Nevaeh.

-Did she get a blowout?
-Yes, I did it.

Oh, it looks so pretty.

Oh, this don't look
like the same place.

This is gonna massively
alter her life, too.

-Ripple effect.
-She gets her freedom back.

-What's up?
-This is amazing.

Oh, my God. Oh!

Oh, you look so nice.

Look at my home.

Is this even real?

- Aw!
-It's real, baby girl!

You can just see the release
Mom is having.

Yes.

Ready for the bathroom.
We've got a door. Yay.

Ooh. We all up in here now. Look.

Mm-hmm!

Oh, yes, Dawn.

-Look at this closet.

This is nice.

-It's a big closet.

Every jacket is actually
tailored to fit me.

I'm speechless.

I love how excited he was about the fact
that he can finally wear outerwear.

Could you--
I would never even think about that.

I can't wear a jacket?

You know, we're going into
seven years of being paralyzed.

And even though, like,
my life has been better from it,

I feel like we all never forgave
the person that did this to me.

And, um,

I got to see him yesterday.

We were face to face,

and it gave a lot of clarity.

I freed myself from so much last night,

I wanna give you the ability to be free
from all of this, too.

Even though you can't get
that seven years back,

you can start your journey now
of living...

your life again,

and you don't have to worry about me.

You've allowed me to vent
when I needed to.

You've literally been there

every day.

Thank you.

-Oh.

It's sort of a sense of release
and closure for Mom, too.

It's like a positive
ripple effect.

Oh, yeah.

- Check me out!
- Wow!

Wow, look at you, Wesley.

Uh-uh. Look at him.

Mm, mm, mm!

Oh, he looks so handsome!

Tan, that suit.

You did good.

Oh, that's nice!

That's nice!

Make some noise for Wesley Hamilton!

Let's go!

Let's go!

This event is poppin'.

-Hey, looking clean, man.
-Hey! Hey!

How does it feel
to have the fresh hair?

- It feels liberating.
-Yeah.

You look awesome with your haircut.

Hey, you know!

Look at that gorgeous smile
just illuminating from his inside. Oh!

-All right, all right, all right.

- Man. Oh, man.
- You look good! Woo!

I don't think I could ever be this clean,
you know?

It might not show my g*ns right now,
but y'all know what's real.

Never a bad opportunity to pass out
on a comment about his g*ns.

First of all, thank you, everybody,
for being here.

Um, it's truly an honor to see...

everybody

that supports this organization.

I came from somewhere where...

I wasn't surrounded by five gay guys.

-You're gay?

And what I found was that all of us...

kind of face the same thing.

And it was that society
seen us differently.

When I talk about acceptance,

seeing five guys
that accepted who they were,

and they see one guy
that accepted who he was,

it was just amazing.

And I just wanna say

we just can't look at anybody differently.

It's all about love.

I'm a new me today.

And I just want everybody to know
is that, yeah, I am disabled,

but not really.

-I love Wesley!
- Me, too.

I didn't give credit where credit was due.

The woman that actually was there for me
through it all...

I'm talking about my mom.

And I want her to come up here...

Because...

she gave me the love...

that I needed when I didn't love myself.

So, I just wanted to give credit
to my mom

'cause this is-- this is my backbone.

I love you.

What an incredible man.

-Yes.
-Guys, to Wesley.

-Yes, to Wesley.
-Disabled but not really.

Yes!

Daunted by the notion
of tying your own tie?

I'm gonna keep it simple for you.

The thin end on your right side,

the thicker end on your left side.

Make the left side longer.

About three or four inches down

is where you're going to cross
the thinner end.

With the thicker end,
you're gonna spin it around,

and then feed it over.

Tuck it through the loop,

and pull.

Then, simply pull the thinner end up,

bring your collar down
for one final adjustment,

and that is how you tie a simple knot.