1126789 THE VICTIM WAS TAKEN TO
RYDER TRAUMA MA CENTER IN
CRITICAL CONDITION.
IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION
CALL POLICE.
WE ARE COMMITTED TO
BRINGING YOU STORIES ABOUT WHY
MENTORING MATTERS.
TONIGHT, THE STORY OF A SOUTH
FLORIDA MAN WHO LOST HIS FATHER
WHEN HE WAS JURY YOUNG
CONNECTED WITH A YOUNG MAN WHO
ALSO LOTTES HIS DAD.
IT'S A BIG LITTLE BROTHER
RELATIONSHIP FOUR YEARS IN THE
MAKING.
IT WENT FROM PLAYING VIDEO
GAMES TO SHARING THE SAME
OFFICE SPACE.
WE GOT A REMATCH COMING UP
IN TWO WEEKS.
ACTUALLY, MAYBE WE GOT THE
CAMERA FROM.
JUST IN CASE WE FORGET WHAT
HAPPENED.
Reporter: WHEN CHAD VANHORN
MOVED TO MIAMI FROM PITTSBURGH
SEVERAL YEARS AGO, HE WAS
LOOKING FOR A WAY TO CONNECT
WITH THE COMMUNITY.
HE FOUND THAT CONNECTION WITH
DESMOND.
GO CART GAMES AND WE'RE
RACING AGAINST EACH OTHER.
HE MADE ME SPIN OUT.
SO THE NEXT TIME WE'RE RACING I
MADE HIM SPIN OUT.
WE REALLY CONNECTED.
YOU CAN TELL AT THIS POINT --
AT THAT POINT, WE'RE LIKE, THIS
IS A LONG TERM THING.
Reporter: THE IDEA OF
MENTORING HIT HOME WITH HIM
BECAUSE OF HIS UPBRINGING.
I HAD MANY MENTORS GROWING
UP.
I HAD A MOTHER WHO WAS AWESOME.
WHEN SHE WAS WORKING SHE MADE
SURE I HAD A GOOD ROLE MODEL.
Reporter: THROUGH BIG
BROTHERS, HE WAS LINKED TO
DESMOND.
AT THE TIME, HE WAS A 12-YEAR-
OLD THINKING ONLY ABOUT
FOOTBALL.
I WAS FOCUSED ON FOOTBALL.
I WASN'T THINKING ABOUT SCHOOL.
Reporter: BUT THEN,
SOMETHING CHANGED.
I HAD TO ACTUALLY THINK
ABOUT WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF
FOOTBALL DIDN'T WORK OUT AND
DINT HAVE ANY GRADES OR
SOMETHING.
Reporter: NOW AS A JUNIOR IN
HIGH SCHOOL, HIS GRADES HAVE
IMPROVED, HE'S STILL PLAYING
FOOTBALL.
ONCE THE SEASON END, HE GOES TO
WORK AT CHAD'S LAW FIRM TO SEE
HIS BIG BROTHER AS A BANKRUPTCY
ATTORNEY.
TO BE AROUND MORE
PROFESSIONAL PEOPLE AND MORE
POTENTIAL MENTORS AND EVERYBODY
AT MY OFFICE HAS EMBRACED HIM.
IT'S AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE AND
HE FEELS LIKE PART OF THE TEAM.
I HAD AN LIKE HAVING HIM
AROUND, TOO.
Reporter: THIS PROFESSIONAL
ENVIRONMENT EXPOSED DESMOND TO
A WHOLE NEW WORLD.
MY BIG BROTHER, CHAD IS A
POSITIVE ROLE MED DOLL FOR ME.
Reporter: HE DESIGNATED HIS
BROTHER AS MAN TORE OF THE
QUEER -- MENTOR.
YEAR.
TAKING RESPONSIBILITY
HANDLING STUFF ON YOUR OWN AND
BEING THERE FOR OTHERS AND JUST
BEING A GOOD FRIEND.
A HUMBLING HONOR, I THINK
THEY CHOSE BECAUSE HE'S JUST A
REALLY GOOD KID.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND BIG
BROTHERS, BIG SISTERS.
NOT JUST FOR THE KIDS, BUT FOR
THE BIG, FOR ME.
IT MADE ME A MORE WE WILL
ROUNDED -- A WE WILL WELL-
ROUNDED PERSON.
WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH A
LITTLE BROTHER THAT DOESN'T
KNOW THINGS THAT YOU KNOW, IT'S
AMAZING HOW YOU CAN SEE HIM FRO
AND YOU GROW AT THE SAME TIME.
HOW ABOUT THAT.
CHAD IS NOT TAKING ON ANOTHER
COMBIG ROLE WITH DESMOND, HE'S
TEACHING HIM HOW TO DRIVE.
GREAT TO SEE HOW THEY HAVE
BONDED.
THE STORY WITH BIG BROTHERS,
BIG CENTERS, THERE ARE 300
OTHER DESMONDS RIGHT NOW
WAITING FOR A BIG BROTHER.
IF THAT DOESN'T INSPIRE YOU TO
DO IT, I DON'T KNOW WHAT WILL.
THEY DON'T DO IT FOR THIS,
BUT IT'S NICE TO FEE DECEMBER
MONDAY NOMINATED -- TO SEE
DESMOND NOMINATED HIM FOR IT.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HOW
TO BECOME A MENTOR, HEAD OVER
TO THE WEB SITE.
WE HAVE A WHOLE LIST OF
ORGANIZATIONS YOU CAN GET
INVOLVED WITH.