In his bestselling book The Blind Side, Michael Lewis does a masterful job of telling the unlikely but true story of Michael Oher, an African American homeless teen who got adopted by a wealthy white family in Memphis. He subsequently played football for Ole Miss and ended up getting drafted by the Baltimore Ravens. Now Michael Oher’s remarkable story is one of the top grossing movies in the U.S. (Sandra Bullock deserves an Oscar for her role.)

I was thrilled that a film with this message – how we can change someone’s fate by caring and offering our hearts – has captured the attention of so many. In a very real sense, Sam was saved by the many caring mentors and families who reached out to him when he became homeless at 15. I hope our book will help shine a light on the fact that there are kids all around us who need help.
Over the holiday break, a friend of my teenage son spent a lot of time at our house. No one called to check on him or whom he was staying with. He reminded me of Sam. He’s 6 ft. 5 in. tall, plays football, but he’s still a kid. When I noticed that he was carrying a lot of his belongings in a garbage bag, I started asking questions.

Like Michael Oher, my son’s friend and Sam, kids who need your help are likely right in front of you. They just need you to open your eyes and your heart.