Students at St. Martha Catholic School in Sarasota, Florida received a message of inspiration from a real-life heroy.
Israel “DT” Del Toro Jr., an Air Force veteran and retired senior master sergeant, spoke to the students at the pre-K through 8th grade school on the importance of never giving up, no matter life’s challenges.
And Del Toro knows a thing or two about overcoming obstacles.
Del Toro, who retired from active duty seven years ago, became the first 100 percent disabled former soldier to reenlist in the Air Force. He endured severe combat injuries and burns to 80 percent of his body after his Humvee hit an IED in Afghanistan. The devastating blast put the special ops paratrooper in a coma for three months. He nearly died three times. Doctors believed, if he made it out of the coma, he would never walk again and would depend on a respirator to breathe.
“Having that opportunity to speak to kids and showing them to never give up and keep going and not let the bad times spiral you down that rabbit hole,” Del Toro told WWSB in Florida.
The Air Force veteran’s amazing story is chronicled in “A Patriot’s Promise,” the memoir he co-authored with T.L. Heyer.
For his courageousness, Del Toro was awarded a Purple Heart, a Bronze Star and received the Pat Tillman Award at the ESPY’s in 2017.
Despite the obstacles, he persevered, finding new goals and aspirations to conquer.
Since leaving the military, Del Toro has delivered inspirational speeches across the country, motivating audiences with his “Stay Strong, Finish Strong,” message. He spoke to St. Martha students as part of Nation Day for Catholic Schools Week. His message of overcoming significant odds to live a purpose-filled life has not only captivated students but also other veterans as well.
Del Toro wants to inspire the next generation to become leaders and give back to their communities.
“Having that opportunity to speak to kids and showing them to never give up and keep going and not let the bad times spiral you down that rabbit hole,” Del Toro told WWSB in Florida.
Leader At a Young Age
Del Toro traces his message of perseverance back to his youth. He had to grow up fast at age 14, after his father died, leaving him orphaned. Before he passed away, Del Toro’s father told his eldest son to “take care of your brothers and sisters.” Those words influenced how Del Toro served in the Air Force and in his post-service life, treating new friends, like the students at St. Martha, as family.
Del Toro’s message of doing right by others inspired students like eighth grader Caedance Day, who said the veteran’s presentation provided a lasting impact.
“It just gives you that inspiration of how you can be better each day, how you can continue to improve and be more like DT,” Day said.
With the school emphasizing community engagement and strong character development among students, Del Toro’s presentation was an ideal fit.
Barry Shuck, who teaches history and religion in grades 6-8, said Del Toro’s message also stresses the importance of civic duty.
“Civic duty is not just something that we learn about in school; it’s something that we need to take from the classroom and apply it in our communities, into our state, into our overall country, and we also need to share that with other people of other countries,” Shuck said.
Shuck, also a veteran, said it’s vital to teach the next generation the value of giving back, that being an upstanding person in the community doesn’t cost anything.
“It just gives you that inspiration of how you can be better each day, how you can continue to improve and be more like DT,” Day said.
Find Joy in Small Things
Del Toro challenged students to find joy in simple pleasures, a lost art nowadays.
“Enjoy the little things, and I think a lot of people forget to enjoy the little things,” Del Toro said. “You can have all this distraction all throughout your world, throughout your day, but if you’re just sitting down playing with your dog, man, that’s the little things that make you think it’s ok and not that stressful. Whether that’s playing video games or just being with your family and friends, it is important to enjoy those little moments.”
Del Toro said purpose-driven living doesn’t have to always be about grand gestures; the little things in life, like spending time with friends and family and doing kind deeds for others, can be the most impactful.
As Del Toro concluded his presentation, it was clear he left an impression on students and staff. Especially in this digital age, when young minds are being pulled in many directions through the influence of social media, the veteran’s inspirational story showed students they can meet real heroes in the flesh, and most aren’t on TV or video games.
