Unsung Hero:
Mike Hopkins Friends of the Miracle League chairman Mike Hopkins discusses his long history with the organization in his office at the Newton County Water and Sewerage Authority. Tom Spigolon | The News
NCWSA director calls work with Miracle League and its players ‘a joy’ By TOM SPIGOLON
M
tspigolon@covnews.com
ike Hopkins says he is just one of many trying to provide a place for kids with disabilities to enjoy the great American pastime in Newton County. The chairman of the Friends of the Miracle League committee has had a personal reason for leading the charge to maintain the county-owned facility that was specially built for its unique players -- he’s the father of three special needs children. Hopkins, who is director of the Newton County Water & Sewerage Authority (NCWSA), said it was a “joy” to see disabled players get their chances to play the game at Newton County’s Miracle League complex at City Pond Park in CovTHE COVINGTON NEWS
ington. The league’s field is designed for use by players who may be confined to wheelchairs or others with mobility issues. “Our kids are non-verbal and they’re wheelchair-bound,” he said, in reference to his own children. “To me it was always a joy to see the others that were less severely disabled that could actually move, walk, talk and run, and how much joy they got out of it,” Hopkins said. “They really take it just as serious as all the healthy children,” he said. “I get more of a blessing than I would ever give back to them. “When you’re a buddy or a health coach or you take time just to show up and watch them -- they just want somebody to see them.” Hopkins and wife, Kelli, have
one daughter with special needs, Michala, and one daughter, UGA student Marlee, without any medical conditions. Two others have died after both suffered from forms of mitochondrial disease, including son, Abe, 6, and daughter, Mary Elizabeth, 21, who died three months apart. Michala is a 23-year cancer survivor who lost her leg at age 1 to the disease. She also is essentially a medical miracle by living to age 24 with Aicardi syndrome, a rare condition that caused her brain to develop without individual left and right sides. It only affects about 1,000 girls worldwide, he said. “We were always the marvel of the genetics teams at Egleston and places where we were,” he said. They also were the 17th GeorVISIONS 2022: HERE WE GROW 65
