ATMI Program

by Kathryn Petros

While going through life, many people encounter different negative experiences. However, people rarely turn that experience into something positive.

For high school senior, Cullen Ray Hayes, this is not the case. Hayes has overcome several complications and is now sharing his positive outlook with others.

Hayes was born three months premature of his due date. He weighed 2.5 lbs and had ruptured lungs, brain damage and only one kidney. The doctors were unsure whether he would make it, but of the other 15 premature babies in the hospital, Hayes was the only one to go home.

Now Hayes is 18. He has grown up with only a few remaining complications, including having only 62 percent of his lungs in working condition.

"If I get sick or I get a cold and it hits straight to my lungs, then I'm pretty much hurting for a long time," Hayes said. "I can't even get up and walk to the room. I just got to chill, because of my lungs. It takes so much out of you when you don't have any oxygen going to your lungs."

However, Hayes has overcome this obstacle. He started running, lifting weights and even played on the Dimond High School football team. He feels that defeating different obstacles has allowed him to see things from a different point of view.

"I don't take like for granted, and I'm doing anything stupid to alter my mind or my body. Every day that I'm breathing I'm thankful for it," he said. "You never know when you're time's going to be up, you know. It makes you think. Life's a trip; it just makes you cherish the things you really have."

Hayes is sharing his point of view with others through his self published poetry book, "The Peaks and Values of Life." The book is a compilation of poetry that Hayes has written over the years. He explains it as a journal through poetry.

Hayes began writing poetry after an assignment in seventh grade.

"(My teacher) made us to write a poem about autumn. I didn't really want to and I copped an attitude," Hayes said, "but after I wrote it I got the best in the school, and then I moved on to high school. There was a lot of turmoil and everything going on. I started seeing everything around me, so I wrote what I heard and what I saw. "

After the assignment, Hayes used poetry as an outlet to organize his thoughts. He wrote the things that he saw and felt in notebooks and was told by several peers that he should "do something" with his poems. Hayes is planning to have his poetry book in the high school libraries and has high hopes for the future.

"Hopefully if I keep busting out these poems and keep on pushing them to the youth and they read them, then they'll see that someone else feels their pain and it isn't' just them," Hayes said. "It's possible to do anything they want."

Hayes dedicates his first book to his grandfather, who he says is his hero. His grandfather passed away from cancer last year.

Hayes also plans put one of his poems on a plaque for the Natal Intensive Care Unit at Providence Hospital. The poem titled, "The Premature Seed that Wasn't Meant To Be," will help give hope to parents with a premature baby.

"Basically if you believe, you can achieve, no matter what the situation is, you can just rise up and succeed," Hayes said. "It's just how bad the individual wants it."


	by Kathryn Petros Listen to the story! While going through life, many people encounter different negative experiences. However, people rarely turn that experience into something positive. For high school senior, Cullen Ray Hayes, this is not the case. Hayes has overcome several complications and is now sharing his positive outlook with others. Hayes was born three months premature of his due date. He weighed 2.5 lbs and had ruptured lungs, brain damage and only one kidney. The doctors were unsure whether he would make it, but of the other 15 premature babies in the hospital, Hayes was the only one to go home. Now Hayes is 18. He has grown up with only a few remaining complications, including having only 62 percent of his lungs in working condition. "If I get sick or I get a cold and it hits straight to my lungs, then I'm pretty much hurting for a long time," Hayes said. "I can't even get up and walk to the room. I just got to chill, because of my lungs. It takes so much out of you when you don't have any oxygen going to your lungs." However, Hayes has overcome this obstacle. He started running, lifting weights and even played on the Dimond High School football team. He feels that defeating different obstacles has allowed him to see things from a different point of view. "I don't take like for granted, and I'm doing anything stupid to alter my mind or my body. Every day that I'm breathing I'm thankful for it," he said. "You never know when you're time's going to be up, you know. It makes you think. Life's a trip; it just makes you cherish the things you really have." Hayes is sharing his point of view with others through his self published poetry book, "The Peaks and Values of Life." The book is a compilation of poetry that Hayes has written over the years. He explains it as a journal through poetry. Hayes began writing poetry after an assignment in seventh grade. "(My teacher) made us to write a poem about autumn. I didn't really want to and I copped an attitude," Hayes said, "but after I wrote it I got the best in the school, and then I moved on to high school. There was a lot of turmoil and everything going on. I started seeing everything around me, so I wrote what I heard and what I saw. " After the assignment, Hayes used poetry as an outlet to organize his thoughts. He wrote the things that he saw and felt in notebooks and was told by several peers that he should "do something" with his poems. Hayes is planning to have his poetry book in the high school libraries and has high hopes for the future. "Hopefully if I keep busting out these poems and keep on pushing them to the youth and they read them, then they'll see that someone else feels their pain and it isn't' just them," Hayes said. "It's possible to do anything they want." Hayes dedicates his first book to his grandfather, who he says is his hero. His grandfather passed away from cancer last year. Hayes also plans put one of his poems on a plaque for the Natal Intensive Care Unit at Providence Hospital. The poem titled, "The Premature Seed that Wasn't Meant To Be," will help give hope to parents with a premature baby. "Basically if you believe, you can achieve, no matter what the situation is, you can just rise up and succeed," Hayes said. "It's just how bad the individual wants it." Youth uses poetry to help others
	My Perception *by Cullen Ray Hayes* My perception is, if teachers and parents were to have higher expectations for today's upcoming generations, then this place could be an all around much better nation. My perception is, it's going to take the participation of millions to make this place a stronger nation. The Lord's creation needs better foundation and more recreation in order for the youth to have a more prosperous reason for graduation I'm 18 lost in a country with no path, with a spoiled generation, which is this country's explanation for its humiliation. And when will politicians face the truth and see what's going on, the waste of America's youth?

Youth uses poetry to help others