Today’s story in Give It All You’ve Got comes from CJ.
Hollie’s quote — “You get 3 choices in life: give up, give in, or give it all you’ve got” — inspired this series. CJ experienced his first gelastic seizure at birth, and up to 300 gelastic seizures a day until age 3, when he also began experiencing partial complex seizures and myoclonic jerks. He received his HH Syndrome diagnosis at 3 months old, after his first brain surgery. Four brain surgeries later, CJ is seizure free — and today, CrossFit is where he goes to prove it.
He’s currently in a program to help him transition to independent living, and he volunteers at the Discovery Center Museum, the Ronald McDonald House, and his local public library in Boise, Idaho. He loves photography, drawing, CrossFit, and walking the Boise Greenbelt with his black lab, Scout. He currently works at his local Albertsons grocery store as a courtesy clerk — bagging groceries, taking carts off the lot, and helping customers find what they’re looking for.
What “giving it all you’ve got” looks like for CJ
“For me ‘giving it all you’ve got’ means making/creating time in the day for a workout or going for a walk in nature as well as finding/looking for a job that is financially fulfilling but also mentally fulfilling.
Most importantly it means celebrating every victory no matter how big or small.
For me walking the nature trails & doing CrossFit proves that HH Syndrome doesn’t define who I am today, it’s just another chapter in the story of my life.
Another reason I love doing CrossFit is because every time I walk into the CrossFit gym I remind myself of the fact that I’m still standing.”
What HH Syndrome tried to take from him — and what he found instead
“Something huge I’ve accomplished that HH Syndrome tried to take from me is my ‘drive to thrive’ but I found that I possess lots of it as a result of starting CrossFit.
Another huge accomplishment I’ve achieved is living in my own apartment in downtown Boise.”
A few realizations along the way:
- “I can trust my intuition & trust my gut instincts.”
- “I allow other peoples words to unknowingly affect me & the rest of my day.”
And a couple of things that surprised him about himself:
- “I tend to consistently doubt myself & doubt my ability to thrive independently.”
- “I’m capable of more than I give myself credit for, especially when it comes to my resilience & my ability to connect with other people & my ability to brighten their day.”
And what giving back means to him: “Touching the lives of others around me & sharing the joyful message that tomorrow is a new dawn & you can reinvent yourself whenever you want to.”
What CJ would tell someone newly diagnosed, someone who feels alone, and every young adult wondering what’s possible
To someone just diagnosed:
“I would inform/tell them that there is an organization & community of doctors & individuals like you created to give hope for a brighter tomorrow & provide the answers people seek regarding treatment options.”
To someone who’s felt alone in this for years:
“I would tell them that there’s a whole community of people out there just like them who have found community and connection through an amazing non-profit organization full of doctors, individuals with HH & advocates all focused on giving hope & getting answers.”
To young adults looking toward the future:
“For all the young adults in the HH community who are looking towards the future, my advice/perspective is that anything is possible. The best part is that you are a part of an amazing community that will support you every step of the way in your journey through life.
You can achieve anything you put your mind to as long as you believe in yourself.
Make sure to avoid limiting your potential growth whether it’s physical, mental or spiritual because you’re capable of achieving great things. You are a gift of unknown potential. The only way you can know your full potential is by being yourself & trying something new.”
What HH Syndrome has taught him about himself
“What HH Syndrome has taught me is that I have the ‘drive to thrive.’ Meaning that I have the motivation & the drive to try new ‘hard’ things — like when I started doing CrossFit, I couldn’t jump with both feet off the ground, but because of an awesome coach helping me, and my drive to thrive, I was able to jump onto a 10-inch box in 2 sessions.”
Thank you, CJ, for showing this community what “drive to thrive” looks like — one workout, one victory, one honest realization at a time. This is why we fight.
Inspired by CJ’s story? Join the fight for every HH Syndrome warrior. Donate or start your own fundraiser at givebutter.com/2026-hhsyndrome-awareness.
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