NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — If you were watching us Wednesday morning, you may have seen a new friend of ours at NewsChannel 5. He's a 14-year-old who's had a very hard journey but carries an incredible positivity.
The way mom Ashley White sees it, you have a few kids in the house? The mornings have to be a well-timed routine.
"We have a total of five," Ashley said, carrying a toddler as she spoke. "It's a lot of juggling around, but we make it work."
One of the kids getting up and at 'em was her son, 14-year-old Trey.
"Why do you have a Farmer's Almanac?" I asked him as he held up a book.
"For the weather for next year so I can do the forecast!" he answered.
Something about Trey, he's always loved the weather.
"He did his own reports during the pandemic," Ashley said, remembering the home movie weather reports Trey used to do. "He's just weather man Trey!"
It was two years ago Trey lived through a spinal cord stroke.
"Trey went in for what was supposed to be a routine surgery," Ashley said. "The morning after in recovery he woke up and said, 'Mom, I can't feel my legs.' The doctors told us he was a quadriplegic from the chest down, and there was slim to no hope that he would walk again. It was something that just shook us to our core."
"When we came home, nothing was set up to be accessible for Trey," she continued. "We couldn't get him upstairs. We cleared out our kitchen area that became Trey's bedroom for the past two years. He plays over there. He eats over there. He uses the restroom over there. He did everything in our kitchen."
A family's lives have changed this week. The Tucker's House non-profit has just made modifications for Trey all through the house.
"They installed a lift in our home," Ashley said. "They gave us vinyl flooring, so it's easier for his wheelchair to move. His room is completely accessible now. He's got a touch lamp. He's got an open closet. Doorways are widened."
"I can get into the bathtub now," Trey added, referring to his bathroom modifications. "I can take showers now. I have my room now."
Tucker's House wasn't finished. They knew about Trey's love for the weather, so they made a few contacts.
"Are you nervous at all?" I asked Trey about what was coming. "It doesn't seem like you are."
"No, I'm not nervous," he smiled. "I'm just excited."
Trey and his family drove to NewsChannel 5.
"Do you wanna come back this way?" asked Nikki-Dee Ray, showing Trey around the studio. "I'll show you the weather center. I see you've got your almanac."
"This is Talk of the Town over here," Trey said, looking around the room.
"Yes sir, it sure is," Nikki-Dee answered. "You're good!"
Oh, there's something I forgot to mention. There is someone who helped inspire Trey's love of the weather.
"It's good to see you!" said Lelan Statom, walking into the studio to greet Trey. "It's good to have you with us today!"
"I remember you were at my school, and I saw you!" Trey said, looking up at Lelan.
This visit was even more than a meeting with Nikki-Dee and Lelan, even more than getting their autographs in that Farmer's Almanac.
"I know you will knock it out of the park," Lelan said, leaning over to Trey.
Trey went live on NewsChannel 5's air.
"The day has finally come I get to introduce you to one of my sweet friends!" Nikki-Dee said. "This is Trey!"
"I mean, that's my baby," Ashley said, watching from behind the studio cameras. "Honestly, seeing your child go through something you can't see or fix is heartbreaking, so to see him happy again means the world to me. This is a life dream of his."
"Monday we'll have rain, 62 degrees," Trey said in the broadcast.
"That's right!" Nikki-Dee said.
"Tuesday, the high is 56, and the low is 48 degrees," Trey continued.
"You are so awesome, Trey," Nikki-Dee said, giving him a high five. "Thank you for coming and doing the weather. I guess now we have to toss it to Ben. Say Back to You, Ben!"
"Back to you Ben!"
Do you have a positive, good news story? You can email me at forrest.sanders@newschannel5.com.
Fostering Hope provides Christmas for kids in foster care. I'm delighted to see Fostering Hope expand this year to expand their reach to now include kids in Foster care in metro AND foster kids in East TN hard hit by Helene.
-Bree Smith
