Miguel Kirby was awarded the Joshua Moore Perseverance Award this year at the Central High School football banquet last week. Joshua’s mom, Sherri Brown, says she knows Joshua would be very proud of this young man and the award was even more special for her since she went to Central with Miguel’s mother, Shelli Richart.
Joshua Moore passed away 3/5/2012 from leukemia at the age of 18
Brown is grateful to coach Nick Craney for keeping Joshua’s memory alive through the award he has presented to a football player who demonstrates perseverance and determination, qualities Joshua Moore exemplified to the highest degree throughout his lifetime and especially during his journey through a terminal cancer diagnosis during his senior year of high school.
Miguel Kirby’s story is certainly one that demonstrates that perseverance and determination to overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles.
This is Miguel’s story as written from his mother, Shelli Richart.
“I give God all the glory honor and praise for walking us through our storm in 2023. We had a series of unfortunate events from my health issues, that I have been healed from to getting caught in the housing crisis. Our rent doubled and we could not find affordable housing so we ended up homeless from July until November!
“We were uprooted from the only home Miguel remembers. We have been in our new home for four months and are still recovering from the trauma of being homeless, but God always has His hand on us!
“At the Central football banquet, Miguel was awarded The Josh Moore Perseverance Award for never giving up and focusing on his education and athletics. He continued to thrive, grow and learn despite all obstacles! Taking more classes than required plus six college classes, he continued to thrive through it all. If it was not for our Lord and Savior, I could be telling a totally different story.
“Saying I’m proud of Miguel is an understatement and I love being his mom! He has shown us all to dream big, bigger and biggest!”
Thank you to Miguel for being an inspiration, to Shelli for sharing your family’s story, and to Sherri for remembering Joshua’s character through others’ perseverance.
All of us have a story and I want to tell yours! Send them to susan@knoxtntoday.com