My Background

Perhaps a good place to start would be to tell you about some of my background.

My childhood was difficult but I always remained positive and even participated in a national debate competition of original oratory with a ten minute speech titled "The Power of Positive Thinking". This event was held in Baltimore, Maryland and though I did not win, it was a wonderful experience.

At age 7 my parents divorced. Just before my 10th birthday, my mother remarried. Two weeks before my 13th birthday, I was diagnosed with AML Childhood Leukemia and underwent a bone marrow transplant. At the time this was considered experimental and controversial.