ODESSA, Texas — "It's just genuine, and I'm grateful for the people that have showed up for me," said Garett Carter, a coach for the girl's basketball team at CROSSROADS in Odessa.
Coach Carter battled a bone infection in his feet for 6 years, before doctors recently amputated both his legs. He was wheel-chair bound for some time before getting prosthetic legs.
However, his legs are still shrinking following the amputations. This has caused him to suffer from cuts, rashes and the fear of infection.
Coach Carter opened up about what he was up against to JJ Toledo, the Worship Pastor at CROSSROADS Church.
Pastor Toledo and his wife created a GoFundMe to help pay for Coach Carter's new prosthetic legs. A cost that amounted to $6,000 dollars out of pocket.
"...I just I knew my brother was struggling. I knew he was going through through a lot of pain and so I just said, 'Lord, how can I help?'" said Pastor Toledo. "If you grew up in church, you've always heard people talk about whenever they're going through something, the easy response is I'm praying for you. I believe the Lord is going to work it out, but I believe that aside from praying, I believe that the Lord has called us to be the hands and feet. I saw this as an opportunity really to just rally behind my brother and to let us do something significant to help him."
Within nearly two days, the fundraiser reached the goal amount.
CROSSROADS in Odessa had created Coach Carter's position at the church. He sought out strength and support from the church upon his battle with the infection, having his legs removed, and being diagnosed with colon cancer.
He found what he needed through faith and friendships at his church.
Coach Carter went on to share how CROSSROADS has welcomed him.
"I have PTSD very bad from prison; prior to coming here, I didn't want to meet anybody. I didn't want no new friends. I didn't trust nobody. That's how my father raised me. This is the identity that I took on from my dad. I don't need nobody.... I'm from Wink, so I didn't know anyone here. I pulled up in the parking lot and I parked as far away from the front door as I could. I didn't want to come in. I was crying in the parking lot and I was crying the whole way over here. Finally, I went in and then I was too big to fit in the rows because of my legs, so I had to sit at the front. The front row became my seat," said Coach Carter.
Currently, his new prosthetic legs are still in process. Coach Carter's doctor is in Austin and both are looking for different styles so the new ones don't break every few months like the current ones.
"If you have the opportunity to show up for somebody do it, because you don't know who hasn't showed up for them. If you have the opportunity to love somebody, do it. If you have the opportunity to spread the Gospel to somebody, do that because God can change everything," said Coach Carter.
Coach Carter opened up about his idea to start a foundation for kids that are disabled through sports and community involvement.
"...But also a place that kids who get pulled from their homes because their families are addicted to drugs, they've been molested, or their home is no longer safe," said Coach Carter. "If I had it my way, I would have a foundation that would have a place for those kids and give them a sense of purpose the way God's given me."
To watch the broadcast story 'Community helps fund Odessa Coach's new prosthetic legs', click here.