Christian Long
2004 Community Hero
With his courageous, buoyant spirit and heart that overflows with kindness for everyone he meets, eleven-year-old Christian (or “Chris”) has inspired many people. Living with Moebius Syndrome, an extremely rare condition that causes facial paralysis, doesn’t stop Chris from maintaining a positive outlook that’s extraordinary by any standard.
Chris gets a big kick out of playing video games – especially Sonic Heroes – and racing his remote control car outside. He’s a whiz at math and loves anything musical.
Diagnosed in 1995, Chris has undergone a battery of painful jaw surgeries. Throughout years of treatment, he’s had four separate jaw distractors inserted to help lengthen his jaw, each of which was in place for three to five months.
To Chris, a hero is a brave person who stays strong, no matter what the circumstances. His parents are constantly moved by Chris’s strength and sweetness. “He never lets anything get him down. He’s the bravest boy we’ve ever known.”
