Facing the Challenge, Beating the Odds: The Jimmy Mulzet Story

By Jimmy Mulzet

Jimmy Mulzet nearly died before his first birthday. Diagnosed with cerebral palsy at six months of age, it initially appeared that Jimmy’s journey in life would be full of challenges. Despite his diagnosis and prediction that he would never walk, Jimmy soon discovered that God sometimes provides miracles. All he had to do was be patient.

In an inspirational memoir shared to encourage others to be the best they can be despite their obstacles, Jimmy chronicles his remarkable life experiences that shine a light on the value of being embraced and loved unconditionally by both God and his family as he overcame seemingly insurmountable odds to lead a self-sufficient, accomplished life. Buoyed by his faith and prayer, Jimmy details how he achieved independence by eventually learning to walk—a life skill that allowed him to attend school, make friends, and later run in the New York City marathon, climb the stairs to the top of the Empire State Building, and meet Pope Saint John Paul II. Throughout his narrative, Jimmy inspires others with disabilities to never give up, find hope in the darkest of places, and always rely on God for strength.

“Facing the Challenge, Beating the Odds, is … a story about faith—Jimmy’s love for Jesus and His Church, and his attempts to put his faith into action.”

• Language: English
• Publisher: Archway Publishing
• Release date: Oct 8, 2021
• ISBN: 9781665708593

Jimmy Mulzet

Jimmy Mulzet was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at six months of age and was never expected to walk. Not only was he able to walk, but his path led him in many directions. Recently retired after thirty-nine years working for the City University of New York, Jimmy is a devout Catholic who intends to use his faith as his guide to achieve much more in life.

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Copyright © 2021 Jimmy Mulzet.

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except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised

edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine,

Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All

Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced

in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

[Scripture quotations are] from the Revised Standard Version of the

Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian

Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the

United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-6657-0858-6 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6657-0857-9 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-6657-0859-3 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021912700

Archway Publishing rev. date: 09/24/2021

I

wish to dedicate this book to my

parents, Hazel and Frank Mulzet, for

the loving support they gave me.

I am the person I am today because of

their loving example and strength.

Contents

Foreword

Acknowledgments

Introduction

1     Family History

2     I Came into the World 1957

3     I Get Sick 1957

4     I Try to Walk 1960

5     Making Friends 1963

6     I Go to School 1964

7     My Mother 1971

8     I Could Play 1972

9     The Mayor’s Office 1977

10   I Am a Civil Servant 1980

11   My Independence 1985

12   My Visit to Lourdes 1989

13   Reading at St. Patrick’s 1989

14   Special Olympics 1990

15   I Meet the Pope 1993

16   I Care for my Father 1994

17   My Co-op in Manhattan 1996

18   I Serve my Church 1997

19   The New York Marathon 2003

20   Climbing the Stairs 2011

21   Pilgrimage to Ireland 2012

22   I Become a Knight 2014

23   I Visit the Holy Land 2017

24   Goodbye to Work 2019

Foreword

I AM HONORED TO CALL Jimmy Mulzet my friend, although, if I’m being honest, I would guess that everyone who has ever met Jimmy would consider him their friend.

Jimmy’s book, Facing the Challenge, Beating the Odds, is a story of many people, places, and events from his life, beginning with his loving family, his illness as a young child leading to cerebral palsy and his struggles to learn to walk and go to school, to running in the New York City Marathon, climbing the stairs to the top of the Empire State Building, and meeting Pope Saint John Paul II—the only one of Jimmy’s triumphs that I’ve been able to accomplish myself.

At its heart, however, Facing the Challenge, Beating the Odds, is really a story about faith—Jimmy’s love for Jesus and His Church, and his attempts to put his faith into action. Perhaps Jimmy’s greatest insight is expressed in the introduction.

JM01.jpg

Cardinal Timothy Dolan

Archbishop of New York.

He writes, "Prayer is so powerful. I enjoy talking to God even when I am mad at Him. It makes me feel better." What a marvelous expression of trust in the love of God for each one of us!

Yes, I am honored to call Jimmy my friend. By the time you finish reading this book, I am sure you will consider him a friend as well.

—Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan

Acknowledgments

I BEGAN WRITING THIS AUTOBIOGRAPHY in 1998 by dictating it to a friend. For many reasons, that was not completed. Other people have helped me over the years, but nothing came of the publication. In 2020 I again asked my friend to try to bring my now-longer story to life in this book. I want to thank Anne Coghlan for her work and for believing in me all these years.

Thank you also goes to Msgr. John Ahern. He was in St. Monica’s when I was young and kept in touch with me until his death a few years ago. He was a friend, a guide and a mentor, and I miss our chats and his advice.

I say thank you to Eddy Coston, who helped me with the contract and gave me lots of advice and encouragement.

I also want to thank André Beckles for the many photographs he took of me at CUNY events.

Introduction

I WOULD LIKE TO TELL you why I wanted to make my story public. I would like to help all people—with and without disabilities—and their families by telling them the story of my life. I want to inspire everyone to try to do as much for themselves as I have. I want to give them the example of what I was able to accomplish living on my own with a disability. It wasn’t easy for me or my family.

I almost died before I was a year old. I was very sick, but I survived all my illnesses with the help of God and my mother and father, Hazel and Frank Mulzet. God sent me wonderful parents. No one was more supportive than my mother and father. They brought me up to be a smart young man and to care for myself. They taught me to pray, and I’ve asked God to help me achieve my goals each day.

I always say, "God helps those who help themselves." If we have enough courage and enough faith, God will walk with us. We need him every step of the way.

Prayer