D’ANTAL

I could tell this story a million times and never tire of it. In fact, I think it gets better every time I tell it. There’s always something to add, and something more that I’m proud of. It’s not even my story but I feel like it belongs to me. His success, is my success. It means I did something right. Something I did as a parent stuck. Something that we did together manifested to this… It wasn’t luck, it was God. It wasn’t by chance; it was by choice. And it wasn’t a destination, it is his journey…. A journey that I am honored to be a part of.

“I always knew he would grow up to do great things.” Says every parent of a now successful person… or, how about “my child’s advanced,” or “I think they’re gifted, look at how they’re holding that pencil.”

I’m certain you’ve all heard those words before and you smile and nod knowing full well, their child is likely regular (no shade). So, I’m not here to blow smoke up your ass, just to give you some hard-core facts. Because my son, he’s actually “gifted.” He has literally beaten all the odds. And I am certain THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING.

“He’s early,” they said. Too early. But he was ready; he just needed a little assistance with a breathing tube, feeding tube, and eye covering because he was jaundice. He had to live in an incubator for weeks, with IVs everywhere. I was discharged in less than 24hrs and was told my son would be in hospital, indefinitely. Unwillingly,

I left in tears with the only comfort knowing he was in God’s hands. He wasn’t digesting his food, so he wasn’t gaining weight. His tiny veins would collapse every day, and they eventually had to shave the sides of his head to administer his medication there, through intravenous. They said, there was some bleeding in his brain. They said, developmentally he would be behind. They said, his small and large motor skills would be underdeveloped. They said, they said, they said… Meanwhile, he said, “I’ve got this.”

In under a week, D’antal was off his breathing tube and breathing on his own. By week two he was no longer Jaundice. By week three, he was digesting his food and gaining weight. By week four, he no longer required intravenous. By week five the feeding tube came out. By week eight he was HOME. And he was ready to show the world who he was. But not without a few obstacles of course. *Disclaimer*… I think one of my kid’s super powers is making everything look easy… And I know most times it is not, but his will to succeed always gets him there.

So, let’s fast-forward to the day D’antal said “Mom, I’m going to law school.” At that moment I knew my son was going to be a Lawyer. Two weeks later he wrote and scored highly on his LSAT. Two months later he was accepted into Law school. Four months later he started his journey, in a new city, a new apartment and a new circle of friends. When the pandemic hit, he went from the classroom to his bedroom... Not sure how he did it, but he was able to stay motivated and focused on the task at hand. His end goal was to graduate and work for one of the top firms in the country. He did it! It took three years, all while training a puppy, nursing a torn Achilles injury, and contributing to the growth of Efe Magazine. On June 27th D’antal got called to the Ontario bar. I’m at a loss for words; it would be an understatement to just say that I’m proud. I have not yet figured out the words to truly express how this accomplishment makes me feel as his mom. But if I had to take this feeling back to another big moment, it would be watching him conquer life at 28 weeks old, jumping every hurdle before he even knew what life was. Despite everything, you did it. Your life path was not paved with gold. Despite the discomfort in every scenario, you stood tall and created your space even though there were people who questioned whether or not you deserved to be there. But you created your own seat. You have not only changed the world for yourself, but for all others coming up after you. You have set an example for those who have never seen a lawyer within themselves. You will be seen by the world, but more importantly you give hope to those who aspire to authentically be themselves while being great. This is a big accomplishment, but know that every accomplishment you have conquered has been equally important at every stage of his life. They all prepared you for this day. It is my pleasure to introduce to you, D’antal Sampson, J.D. You did it kiddo. I love you the most most most.