North Carolina candidate Madison Cawthorn speaks at RNC
Madison Cawthorn, 25, a North Carolina Republican candidate who is confined to a wheelchair after a car accident, spoke Wednesday night at the Republican National Convention.
Video Transcript
[MUSIC PLAYING]
MADISON CAWTHORN: Good evening. I'm Madison Cawthorn, and I'm running to represent North Carolina's 11th congressional district. This is a time of great adversity for our country. And I know something about adversity.
At 18 years old, I was in a horrific car accident that's left me paralyzed from the waist down. Instantly, my hopes and dreams are seemingly destroyed. I was given a 1% chance of surviving. But thanks to the power of prayer, a very loving community, and many skilled doctors I made it.
It took me over a year to recover. My first public outing in a wheelchair was to a professional baseball game. You know, before my accident I was 6 foot 3". I stood out in a crowd. But as I wheeled through the stadium, I felt invisible.
At 20, I thought about giving up. However, I knew I could still make a difference. My accident has given me new eyes to see and new ears to hear. God protected my mind and my ability to speak. So I say to people who feel forgotten, ignored, and invisible, I see you. I hear you.
At 20, I made a choice. In 2020 our country has a choice. We can give up on the American ideal. Or we can work together to make our imperfect union more perfect. I choose to fight for the future, to seize the high ground, and retake the shining city on a hill.
