19 is Not the age of Reason
I was 19 when bacterial meningitis hit.
One minute I was living my best life.
The next, I was in a hospital bed not expected to make it.
I survived… in a coma.
Then I woke up and realized survival was the easy part.
Because the real work started after:
learning to walk again, talk again, and accept that parts of my body and my eyesight wasn’t coming back the way I thought it would.
I didn’t “bounce back.”
I rebuilt.
And that rebuild became a life I couldn’t have predicted.
That’s what the book, Destiny Is Debatable, is really about.
Learn more at: https://destinyisdebatable.com/
Host & Author
One of the lucky ones, John miraculously survived meningococcal disease (bacterial meningitis) as a sophomore in college. John’s body endured considerable trauma that was mostly healed with physical therapy. But, neurological dysfunction and blindness are permanent reminders of his battle with meningitis.
To spread awareness John is an active advocate with meningitis organizations and shares his unique survival story and journey on his podcast, Destiny Is Debatable with a mission empower people to be successful regardless of their circumstances.
John motivates with a message full of impact that is universally understood. "The filter through which you view your circumstances is most certainly up to you. Whether you wake up in your own bed tomorrow, in a luxury suite at the Ritz-Carlton, or in a hospital, don’t wait to start building your life into the one you want. Waiting is like being at the DMV: your future seems to be in the hands of the apathetic (doctors with poor prognoses, bosses who don’t value you, and your own nagging self-doubt). Don’t wait. Just do the next right thing. Even if you end up taking two steps forward and one step back, that’s still progress. In Texas, we even call it dancing."
Destiny Is Debatable Launches February 7 2026
