Austin Hatch Is A Living Miracle And His Advice To College Grads Is Going Viral

by Faith & Life, Family, Meaning of Suffering

If you’re not yet familiar with the story of Austin Hatch, you will be. This young man is on the path to greatness. Not because of what he’s doing, but because of the way he is letting God work within him.

Austin is a survivor of not one, but two fatal plane crashes. He lost his mother, brother, and sister in the first plane crash in 2003.  Then in 2011, just days after he had signed to play basketball at the University of Michigan, he lost his father and step-mother in another crash. That crash also left Austin in a coma for eight weeks with a traumatic brain injury.

“Arnold Barnett, an MIT statistician, said the odds of surviving a plane crash with one fatality involved is one-in-3.4 million. So, I survived two of those, with multiple fatalities in both. So, the odds of surviving those two crashes is one-in-11 quadrillion and 560 trillion. That’s a 14-digit number.” – Austin Hatch in an interview with the University of Michigan

In spite of all he had to overcome, including learning to walk and eat again, Austin miraculously made his way back to the basketball court and even scored a point for the University of Michigan’s team. His story is incredible and he frequently speaks of his faith in God that got him through his difficult journey.

At the University of Michigan’s student-athlete graduation ceremony, Austin shared a simple piece of advice with his fellow graduates that is now going viral. Click on the video below to hear a clip of what he had to say.

 

“Do the common things in an uncommon way…” – Austin Hatch

It may seem like simple advice, but for us as Catholics, it’s incredibly profound. Take a few minutes today to reflect on this and challenge yourself to live in an uncommon way for the glory of God.

More of Austin Hatch’s Story

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