At the young age of 16, Sean Garrick was in a bad car crash that left him paralyzed from the waist down. Unsure if he’d ever walk again, Garrick’s recovery continues to this day almost 13 years later.

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He works in the Records Department from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., but the most impressive part is that he wakes up every morning at 3 a.m. to get there.

“Oh yes,” Garrick told WPBF. “I get up at 3 o’clock in the morning because I stay so far away and I take the public transportation.

A born athlete and avid football player, Sean Garrick’s life came to a halt after his crash.

He explained, “Because of my car accident, I had a brain and spinal chord injury. I don’t remember a lot of things that happened after the car accident. I had to learn how to walk again, I even had to learn how to pick up a spoon again. I was right back down to a baby.”

Sean began searching for a job soon after his accident, but he was told it’d be unlikely. That’s when he found an organization that helps disabled residents find employment.

Career Resource Specialist Maria Conde described Sean’s success story by saying, “What makes Sean so special is that he’s motivated, he’s tenacious and he’s an optimist.”

It took three years, and several friends on the inside, before the budget to accommodate Sean as an employee was finally approved.

His supervisor, James Shaw said, “Sometimes I say he’s a little stubborn but it’s a good thing, you know. You try to hold a door for him, he’ll hold a door for you.”

Sean is now 29 years old and providing for his wife of three years and a brand new baby boy. His advice to other disabled residents looking for a job is, “Never give up because no matter what you’re going through, you can always try your best and keep on trying and working hard. You’ll make it.”