Nothing can slow him down
Sara Fleetwood positioned herself to get the door for him, but Antonio Washington prefers to open the door himself.
Washington prefers to hold the door for others.
“Antonio always stopped what he was doing to open the door for someone,” Fleetwood said. “And he was always chipper and polite about it too.”
Washington is paralyzed from the waist down.
“I never even noticed he was in a motorized chair, I only noticed the good person he was,” Fleetwood said. “That chair was only a part of who he is.”
Known as “Cadillac” by many GCSU students and faculty alike, Washington’s personality matches the size of his nickname.
In December of 1990, an accident involving a BB gun left a young Washington being rushed to the hospital by his parents. After three months in a coma, Washington’s next memory is waking up in Columbus, Ga.
Seven years of physical therapy was needed for Washington to regain control of his upper body. At 15 years old, Washington had learned something that would make all the difference.
“It was hard – I learned that if I give up, then I’ll never make it,” Washington said. “So I didn’t give up, and that’s why I’m here today.”
Washington returned to Ohio so he could resume grade school, but would return to Georgia in 2002. Enrolling at GCSU in the fall of 2004, Washington was embraced by his peers in Foundation Hall and around campus. His willingness to lend a helping hand, and his upbeat spirit won over students and faculty alike.
“When you see someone who is handicapped, don’t be afraid to ask how it happened,” Washington said. “Most people assume the wrong things about my situation, if they’d just took the time to ask they’d see things differently.”
These days, Washington isn’t seen much on campus. His mother has been undergoing cancer treatment since May 2007. Since she needed help, Washington willingly put his college education on hold so he could come to her aid.
“Right now, she’s in good spirits,” Washington said. “I’ve been able to encourage her and be someone she can always talk to.”
Washington drives her to Augusta once a week to continue receiving treatments. He remains at her side throughout, waiting for any opportunity to serve.
Now living in an apartment in Sandersville, Ga., just a few minutes from his mother, he checks up on her daily and plans to start working at the nearby Wal-Mart soon.
“I’m a momma’s boy, that’s me in a nutshell,” Washington said.
Washington was pursuing a degree in computer science while at GCSU and also worked for the Instructional Technology Center in the GCSU library, fixing computers and helping as a computer lab assistant.
“I really enjoy all that,” Washington said. “For me, it’s like a bird’s wings. Technology really excites me and can take me to new places.”
Despite his attitude, everything wasn’t always painless.
“I had to deal with the lack of handicap accessibility,” Washington said. “Coming to GCSU was difficult because some of the buildings weren’t wheelchair friendly.”
Washington had to use back entrances to gain access to classrooms and dorm rooms.
These physical settings, like the other challenges Washington has overcome, didn’t keep him down. Often, Washington pulled himself out of his chair to climb the Foundation Hall staircase. Washington also has asthma, always making it an exhausting effort just to visit a friend.
“If you ever needed to talk about something, Antonio was always right there ready to listen and give whatever positive advice he could,” Tony Bertucci, a GCSU senior biology major, said. “He was always optimistic.”
Several GCSU basketball players coined the nickname, “Cadillac” as they joked with Williams during a conversation in 2004. Like the classic car, Washington continues to drive.
“I don’t give up,” Washington said. “I’ve always been told to stick to it, and I try my best to do that.”
Posted by Colonnade Archives
on Oct 18 2007. Filed under Features.
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