Drunk driving can lead to devastating consequences, not only for the driver but also for innocent victims. Charles Potter knows this kind of tragedy all too well. In 2006, a drunk driver hit Potter, resulting in an injury requiring him to live the rest of his life using a wheelchair. For many, that would put them in the depths of despair, but Potter looks at life differently and is an inspiration to many dads.
Potter and his 6-year-old daughter, Charlize, recently went viral in a TikTok posted by Potter's wife, Rhonda Conrad. The video shows the beaming father taking the stage with Charlize and dancing a special father-daughter dance with other girls and their dads from her dance class. The clip proves you can do anything with a positive attitude and the will to overcome. We dare you to watch without a tissue.
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Potter's life was changed forever.
In an interview with Good Morning America, Potter explained that his accident was life-changing, but he believes "everything happens for a reason" and things could have ended much worse. His recovery was long and grueling, but so many years later, he is doing great.
"When the accident happened when I woke up, I couldn't move anything from my head down. I couldn't really move my head, I had to be turned in the bed, stuff like that," he said. "I had to relearn how to do everything from crawling, eating, like I had to relearn everything," he said.
A positive attitude is critical.
Life has not been easy for the family, but they have found ways to remain joyful. Conrad told Good Morning America that she and her family practice daily affirmations to help them stay positive. "'You are strong, you are brave, you are kind,' just those types of things," she shared.
Potter reminds us to keep faith and a smile on our faces. "They say God gives his toughest battles to his strongest soldiers. So, no matter what, he's not gonna put you through nothing that you can't get through….Just never give up. Keep your head up. Keep rolling, keep stepping. Things will get better for sure," he said.
Charlize never knew her dad without his wheelchair.
Because the accident happened years before she was born, Charlize only knows her dad one way. And although curious, she loves him just the way he is. He told Good Morning America that she talks to her friends at school about her dad all the time and is aware of his physical condition.
"She's always questioning, she wants to know things," he told Good Morning America. "But she just knows her dad is in a wheelchair from being hit by a drunk driver. Pretty much. That's it. And she knows I'm limited to doing certain things and whatnot. And she just kind of goes with the flow."
The duo are pretty darn good dancers.
The viral TikTok of Charlize and her dad was not the first time they had danced together. The pair has performed in the past, but this particular dance got a lot of attention. The pair learned the routine in just four days, but they were ready.
"We've shared the [performances] that happened before this one, but [they] never got this much exposure," he said. "We woke up the next day, and we got, like, famous people sharing it. People posting it on their stories. And it just took off," Potter said.
They plan to dance together again in May.
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The family touched a lot of hearts.
The sweet TikTok has 13 million views and more than 2 million likes. Followers have filled the comment section with so much love for Potter and Charlize.
"He showed up, they did their best, and made a new memory. Something that could have quite possibly never happened," someone wrote.
Others thought of their own dads. "My dad was an amputee of both his legs, he never failed me either. I loved every moment of this! aaand it made me miss him more than ever. ❤️," someone wrote.
Another comment reads, "This is the VERY BEST THING I HAVE SEEN IN A LONG TIME AND I AM NOT YELLING….AWESOME SAUCE DAD/GIRLS ."
Don't mind us. We're just headed over to TikTok to hit follow. We can't wait to see what the daddy/daughter dancers have in store for us this spring.
