As far back as I can remember, I dreamed of visiting the Pro Football Hall of Fame. I was born into a football family, more specifically a New England Patriots football family. We used to huddle around my grandmother’s kitchen table each Sunday and listen to AM radio broadcasts because the Pats weren’t good enough to be on national TV. My dad often talked about taking my brother and me to Canton Ohio to visit the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

When I was in High School, one of my good friends and I planned on taking a summer road trip to see the Red Sox take on the Cleveland Indians and then head down to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. For some reason or another, neither the trip with my dad nor with my good friend ever ended up coming to fruition. Still, I dreamed that one day I would make it to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Fast forward a decade and life had completely changed. I lost the ability to walk in my late twenties, followed by a bout of blindness, severe cognitive loss and cervical fusion, all due to Multiple Sclerosis. I found myself depressed and unsure of my future. I lost my job and couldn’t pay my bills. I was no longer focused on living my dreams rather I was scared that I didn’t have much quality of life left.

Then, I started to fight. I work hard in rehabilitation. I went back to school. I fought through every relapse and surgery to return to living and enjoying life. I wasn’t going to let my illness deprive me of the life that I wanted to live.

Suddenly things started to change for me. The hospital where I was receiving treatments recruited me to work. I finished my Master’s Degree in Public Health and was eventually recruited to a medical software company. While at the software company, a hospital in Canton Ohio learned about my story. They wanted me to come to Canton to share my “Dog Story” to the clinicians and patients of the hospital.

Then it dawned on me. This was my Hall of Fame speech. After thirty years of wanting to visit the Pro Football Hall of Fame, I was being recruited to speak in Canton Ohio. After the speech, I was given a free pass to the Hall of Fame by the medical director of the hospital. My face lit up as I couldn’t believe that the dream I had held for so long was about to come true.

I was the first in line on Saturday October 19, 2013, which was the Hall’s Halloween Celebration. I got my wrist band and walked the hallowed halls of NFL history. As I looked to my right, I saw a picture of Tom Brady in the main room. I shed a silent tear knowing that my dream had finally came true and that I had fought every step of the way to get there.

While I didn’t get to the Hall with my dad or my friend, living that dream further cemented my belief that life is always worth fighting for. No matter what, don’t ever give up on your dreams. You may have to adjust your expectations, but the moment you realize them will be a moment you’ll cherish forever.