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Alex Madrid: Flying Out Of A Wheel Chair

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Aug 7, 2009 8:30 pm US/Pacific

Alex Madrid: Flying Out Of A Wheel Chair

Jesse Rosenberg
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS) ―

Click to enlarge 1 of 1: Alex at his Sigma Nu Fraternity house
CBS

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What is it like for a person who has grown up using a wheel chair to fly?

"I did skydiving two years ago, 18,000 feet above ground." That's high for anyone let alone Alex Madrid who has struggled with Cerebral Palsy, a muscular disability that has affected his speech and motor skills.

Although he can walk, he often uses a wheel chair to get around.

Alex's dad left the Philippines in 1993 to move to the US. He was isolated. Members of his own family would ignore him.

"I always prayed that someday I could go to the US so that they would stop fighting about me," said Alex.

Three years later Alex made his way to America. His dad had told him that he would have more opportunities in the US regardless of his disability.

Making friends was a challenge because students simply ignored him.

"People tend to not have any patience to listen to me. Every time I asked a classmate to have lunch with me, they said no."

Alex was accepted to UC Berkeley, but academically he struggled. His counselors recommended that he transfer to a smaller university to get more academic assistance, but Alex refused. He was determined to graduate from Cal.

"I got myself in this trouble, I can get (myself) out," said Alex.

He sought out help wherever he could get it. His mentor, Cathy Jay at the Disability Student Program, encouraged him to make his own decisions. He joined a fraternity that supported him too.

"I admire his determination and perseverance in getting to, going through and ultimately graduating from college. It has not been an easy journey for him but he did not give up on himself and more importantly would not let others give up on him either," stated Barb Hendricks, director of Students Rising Above.

Alex graduated from UC Berkeley in June of 2009. He hopes to start a business and a family of his own.

"The biggest challenge for me was accepting who I am and feeling good. I understand that I have a disability and I have limitations but I cannot change that anymore so why don't I just use what I got. If people accept me, that's great and if they do not than that is their loss. I just realized that recently."