Republican congressman Madison Cawthorn, was involved in a life-changing car accident at the age of 18 and has required the use of a wheelchair ever since.
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The accident in 2014 left Cawthorn partially paralyzed from the waist down.
He has some limited use of his legs.
However, he has since been pictured standing – notably at his wedding to Cristina Bayardelle on April 3, 2021.
Cawthon also stood up and out of his wheelchair during his speech at the Republican National Convention in August 2020.
“Be radical for our republic, for which I stand,” he said, whilst using a walking frame and being supported by two aides.
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The move was dubbed inspirational by some, but others felt Madison Cawthorn was taking a political swipe at those who sit down in protest during the pledge of allegiance.
The situation has not prevented him from up climbing the political ladder, and he has claimed that the wheelchair itself became a source of inspiration to him.
“My accident gave me new eyes to see, and new ears to hear,” he said during a speech at the Republican National Convention.
“At 20, I thought about giving up. However, I knew I could still make a difference.”
Madison Cawthorn was injured while returning from a spring-break trip to Florida in 2014.
The accident occurred near Daytona Beach when his friend Bradley Ledford fell asleep behind the wheel of a BMQ X3 SUV.
Cawthorn was in the passenger seat with his feet on the dashboard when the SUV crashed into a concrete barrier.
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